OREANDA-NEWS The Pastdargom District Criminal Court of Uzbekistan has sentenced a 51-year-old local resident to four years in prison for serving under a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, according to a copy of the verdict available to RIA Novosti.

According to the court, the defendant left for St. Petersburg in May 2021 to work. In January 2024, he signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense for military service for a period of one year and was sent to construction work in the Leningrad region. Last October, for health reasons, he was discharged and returned to his homeland in January 2025, where he informed the republic's law enforcement agencies about his service in the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces.