An attack on Uzbek migrants in the Russian city of Vladivostok has drawn an official response from Uzbekistan’s diplomatic mission, following reports of violence and online footage showing the assault.
On September 13, a group of local youths reportedly attacked several migrants from Uzbekistan on the city’s Khabarovskaya street, according to Russian media outlet Vladivostok1. Eyewitnesses said the altercation began when the group began throwing stones at cars carrying the migrants. When the drivers got out to confront them, they were physically assaulted.
Several people sustained injuries in the incident. Videos circulated online show the assailants laughing, shouting, and encouraging each other to “hit” the migrants. In one clip, a driver attempts to defend himself with a scooter while demanding that one of the attackers drop a knife. Another migrant was pursued into a store and struck in the face. The individual recording the video acknowledged the presence of surveillance cameras but continued filming.
According to Vladivostok1, local police have launched an investigation. While no victims or witnesses initially came forward to file complaints, authorities believe the majority of the attackers were minors.
Uzbekistan’s Consul General in Vladivostok, Yusuf Qobiljonov, confirmed that the consulate had promptly contacted the injured citizens and provided legal support. Uzbek nationals have since submitted an official complaint to the Vladivostok Interior Department. Diplomatic notes have also been sent to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s regional office and the Prosecutor’s Office of Primorsky Krai, requesting appropriate legal action.
Qobiljonov stated that the case remains under the direct oversight of both Uzbekistan’s consulate and Russian law enforcement agencies. He urged media outlets to rely solely on official information from the Foreign Ministry and diplomatic representatives to prevent misinformation.
The incident follows a similar controversy earlier this year, when a video circulated showing a Russian citizen calling an Uzbek immigrant a “slave of the Russians.” That case also prompted Uzbekistan to issue a diplomatic note to the Russian government.
