A citizen of Uzbekistan has been sentenced for the murder of 10 Ukrainian soldiers.

The Andijan City Court has delivered a verdict in the case of a citizen of Uzbekistan who participated in combat operations in Ukraine as part of the Armed Forces of Russia. The 39-year-old resident of the Marhamat district, T.A., has been sentenced to 4 years and 2 months of restriction of freedom.

According to the provided case materials, in April 2023, T.A. traveled to Moscow for work. Initially, he was employed at a butcher shop and later secured a position at the oil exchange "Novatek." In the Russian capital, he met someone who offered him the chance to join the Russian Armed Forces to participate in combat in Ukraine, promising high pay and insurance benefits in case of injury.

On July 21, 2023, T.A. signed a contract with the Russian army. Before being deployed to the front lines, he underwent two months of combat training at a training ground in the Moscow region. As per the contract terms, he was promised a monthly salary of 450,000 rubles (approximately 4,950 USD at that time). However, after receiving two transfers of 150,000 rubles, the payments ceased.

In late July 2023, T.A. was sent to an active combat zone—specifically to the cities of Shakhtarsk and Bakhmut. During the court hearings, he made a confession, stating that by November 2023, he had killed more than ten Ukrainian soldiers. Due to his active role in the conflict zone, he was transferred to an intelligence unit, where he served for five months in Luhansk.

In December 2023, T.A. returned to Moscow, declined an offer to continue his service, and decided to return home with his wife and sister, who, according to his testimony, were partially aware of his activities.

On December 31, 2023, T.A. crossed the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan border and returned to Uzbekistan. Immediately upon his return, he voluntarily approached law enforcement officers and handed over all documents confirming his service in the Russian Armed Forces.

During the trial, T.A. fully acknowledged his guilt and expressed remorse for his actions, explaining that his decision was driven by difficult financial circumstances and the need to support his family, being the sole breadwinner. He has three children.

Judge Otabek Mamajanov issued a guilty verdict under part 1 of Article 154 (mercenarism) and part 1 of Article 154-1 (enlistment and recruitment for military service of foreign states) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Considering mitigating factors—his voluntary confession, full acknowledgment of guilt, remorse, lack of prior convictions, family situation, and the presence of minor children—the court ruled to impose a sentence of 4 years and 2 months of restriction of freedom.

The restriction of freedom entails a ban on leaving the place of residence, except for time necessary for work or education, as well as a prohibition on changing residence without the permission of the supervisory authority and on leaving the Andijan region.