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The Diplomat (12 August 2022)

Catherine Putz

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Russia warned Uzbek citizens in an August 10 press release against creating “volunteer battalions” or participating in “hostilities on the territory of foreign states.” The release pointed to Article 154 of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code as explicitly outlawing the participation of Uzbeks in armed conflicts in foreign countries, with up to 10 years in jail as punishment for violating the law.

“The Embassy calls on our compatriots not to succumb to provocations and to exercise forethought,” the press release said.

A few days earlier, a video surfaced of an Uzbek migrant leader in Perm, Russia, proposing the creation of a “volunteer battalion” to join the “special military operation” in Ukraine — the euphemism Moscow prefers for the invasion and ongoing war in Ukraine which began in late February. 

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