The Fergana District Court sentenced 24-year-old citizen of Uzbekistan A.K., who participated in military actions on Ukrainian territory as part of Russian forces. This was reported by "Gazeta.uz," citing court documents.
In 2022, A.K. came to Moscow in search of work. Initially, he got a job as a cleaner in a shopping center in the Moscow region, and later transferred to a similar position in another establishment.
In September of the same year, he was detained by the police while walking with a girl. During a search, narcotic substances were found on his companion, which led to a criminal case against him. The court sentenced A.K. to 7 years in a penal colony.
According to the defendant, the prison administration offered him to sign a contract for service in the Russian army, promising release and Russian citizenship in return. However, he refused to participate in military actions. After several violations of the regime, for which he ended up in solitary confinement, in November 2024, A.K. changed his decision. He noted that the prison chief threatened to extend his sentence by 10 years.
As a result, he received a Russian passport and underwent training near Donetsk, after which he was sent to the conflict zone. A.K. admitted that his task was to deliver food to the military on a motorcycle.
In February 2025, during another trip to the front line, he was attacked by a Ukrainian drone, resulting in injuries to his arm and leg, as well as a head injury from an explosion.
The defendant stated that during his eight months of service, he attempted to escape twice, but the first time he was caught and returned. In August of this year, he successfully escaped to Moscow, where he contacted the Uzbek consulate requesting a certificate for his return home.
After receiving the necessary document, A.K. returned to Fergana, where he was detained by law enforcement authorities.
The Uzbek citizen's participation in combat actions was confirmed by the presence of a Russian military ID and photographs taken in the conflict zone. He fully admitted his guilt and expressed remorse, asking for leniency in connection with his voluntary return to his homeland.
As a result, the court found him guilty under part 1 of Article 154 ("Mercenarism") of the Criminal Code of the Republic and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment, which he will serve in a general regime colony.
