On November 4, a court in Qushtepa district of Uzbekistan’s Fergana region sentenced local resident A.H. to five years in prison for participating in military actions in Ukraine, UzNews.uz reported on November 5, citing the court's ruling.
According to court documents, the defendant left for Russia in May 2023 for temporary work. Later, in November of that year, he conspired with others to support the Russian Armed Forces in the conflict with Ukraine. Seeking financial gain, he signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, committing to a year of military service.
A.H. underwent military training at a base near the Russia-Finland border, learning weapon handling and combat basics alongside other mercenaries. In January 2024, he was transferred to a military training ground in Belgorod for further training. In February 2024, upon completing his training, he was deployed to the conflict zone in Ukraine, where he carried out combat missions. However, he sustained serious injuries from a drone-launched shell explosion, causing head, arm, and leg wounds. He was treated in a military hospital in the Moscow region for a month before returning to Uzbekistan in July 2024.
During the trial, A.H. reportedly admitted his guilt and expressed remorse. The court, considering his confession and cooperation, sentenced him to five years in a low-security penal colony.
Similar cases have been reported before. Fergana News reported that in July this year, a court in Karakalpakstan (an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan) sentenced a local resident “to three years of restricted freedom for mercenary activities.” The migrant had undergone training with the Russian military but fled back to Uzbekistan before deployment.
In October, another Uzbek citizen received a three-year prison sentence for participating in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He stated in court that he joined the Russian Armed Forces to obtain Russian citizenship.
