A resident of Bakhmal District in Uzbekistan’s Jizzakh Region who twice signed a contract with Russia’s Ministry of Defense and participated in military operations in Ukraine has been sentenced to three years and one month in prison. The verdict was reported by Gazeta.uz, citing materials from the Gallyaaral District Criminal Court.
The convicted man, identified as B.M., previously served in the Uzbek Armed Forces. Starting in 2010, he was a contract soldier in an air defense unit based in Andijan Region. Until February 2018, he worked as a driver in several military units before resigning and moving to Moscow for work. In May 2021, he returned home, but left again for Russia in May 2023.
In July 2023, B.M. responded to a recruitment advertisement for the Russian army, citing financial difficulties caused by delayed wages and reduced construction work. After signing his first contract, he was sent to a military unit near Tolyatti (Samara Region), where he underwent three months of training, including firearms drills with an AK-74. In October 2023, he was deployed to the village of Mirnoye in the Luhansk region, where he delivered fuel, food, and clothing. According to his testimony, he did not participate in combat.
In May 2024, B.M. obtained Russian citizenship. His contract expired in July that year, after which he received a Russian foreign passport. To conceal his participation in what Russia calls a “special military operation,” he deliberately damaged his Uzbek passport.
During his service, B.M. received monthly payments — 43,500 rubles for the first six months, and 210,000 rubles thereafter. With these funds, he purchased a two-room apartment in the Duminichi District of Kaluga Region.
After completing his first contract, he returned to construction work in Moscow. However, in February 2025, again facing job shortages, he signed a second contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense. This time, he was assigned to a naval defense unit in Sevastopol, where he was trained in countering Ukrainian drones. In March 2025, claiming tooth pain, he traveled to a military hospital in Moscow, spent nearly a month there, and then returned to Uzbekistan.
B.M. was detained after a local resident informed authorities about his service in the Russian army. During the investigation, it emerged that he had received three medals: For Participation in Combat Operations, For Bravery (2nd class), and Special Forces.
In court, B.M. fully admitted guilt and expressed remorse. The court emphasized that acquiring another country’s citizenship does not exempt a citizen of Uzbekistan from criminal liability under national law. Mitigating factors included his admission of guilt, the presence of four children, and elderly parents.
He was convicted under Part 1 of Article 154 (“Mercenarism”) and Paragraph “a” of Part 2 of Article 228 (“Forgery or use of documents, seals, or stamps”) of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code. B.M. will serve his sentence in a general-regime penal colony.
