According to data from Ukraine's state project "I Want to Live!", Uzbekistan continues to lead in the number of mercenaries fighting on Russia's side in the war against Ukraine. Representatives of the project, in response to a query from the "Ukraine — Central Asia" initiative, stated that as of 2026, they have identified the personal details of 4,853 Uzbek citizens who have signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense or are fighting in the Russian army.
Overall, the "I Want to Live!" project has recorded information on 12,666 citizens from Central Asian countries involved in the conflict. After Uzbekistan, Tajikistan ranks second with 3,407 individuals, followed by Kazakhstan (2,389), Kyrgyzstan (1,439), and Turkmenistan (578). In 2025, the project had data on 5,740 mercenaries from Central Asia, indicating that the number identified has more than doubled in a year.
The last such name-by-name list was published in October 2025, when the number of Uzbeks stood at 2,715, highlighting a sharp increase in the new data. In May 2025, Uzbek law enforcement agencies reported investigating the involvement of 1,110 Uzbek citizens in the war against Ukraine, but official results have yet to be announced.
The Prosecutor General's Office and Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan have repeatedly warned that participation by Uzbek citizens in military actions in third countries is subject to criminal liability. Under Article 154 of the Criminal Code, recruitment is punishable by 5 to 10 years of imprisonment, while Article 154−1 stipulates that service in foreign military forces can result in fines or up to 5 years of imprisonment.
Recently, Deputy Head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) Oleksandr Mishchenko, summarizing the results of a visit to Tashkent, noted that Ukraine is ready to cooperate with Tashkent on each individual case of Uzbek citizens being drawn into the war. He also called for more active public awareness campaigns against recruitment, underscoring the ongoing risks and societal friction associated with this issue.
Source: www.gazeta.uz