A 31-year-old Uzbek citizen from Bukhara, Zukhriddin Yuldoshev, who was forcibly recruited into the Russian army, surrendered to Ukrainian forces almost immediately after arriving at the front. His case, reported by Nexta Live and other media outlets, highlights the growing number of Central Asian nationals being coerced into Russia’s war against Ukraine.
According to Yuldoshev, Russian police planted narcotics on him and threatened him with a prison sentence of 12 to 18 years unless he signed a military contract. “I was given two choices: prison or the front,” he said. After arriving at the battlefield, he was quickly detected by a Ukrainian drone and surrendered without resistance.
Yuldoshev described dire conditions within the Russian military, saying he had to purchase his own communication equipment and gear. He also spoke of widespread disarray and deception among Russian troops. “There were so many dead bodies that there was nowhere to step,” he recalled. He says he has no intention of returning to Russia and is appealing to the Uzbek government for assistance in returning home.
In a June report, Ukraine’s military intelligence stated that citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other Central Asian countries are increasingly being coerced or misled into joining the Russian war effort. Many had initially traveled to Russia as labor migrants and were later pressured into signing military contracts, often with promises of fast cash. Ukrainian officials say many of these recruits are deployed to the most dangerous sections of the front and face high casualty rates.
The forced conscription of migrants has drawn increasing criticism from human rights groups, who argue the practice violates international law. Yuldoshev’s plea for repatriation places added pressure on the Uzbek government to act on behalf of its citizens caught up in Russia’s war.
