The first Uzbek citizen has been sent to prison for joining Russian troops fighting in Ukraine's Donetsk region in 2014-15. Relatives of Ildar Khairulin told RFE/RL on October 30 that the 38-year-old man was handed a five-year prison term last week after a court found him guilty of being a mercenary. Khairulin's relatives denied he had ever been to Ukraine, adding that all charges against him had been based on "false data" filed by the Kyiv-based NGO Myrotvorets (Peacemaker), which aims to inform local law enforcement about foreign citizens who allegedly commit crimes against Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, click here.
First Uzbek Jailed For Joining Russian Troops Fighting In Ukraine
Kremlin-backed separatist fighters travel on trucks in Donetsk in July 2014.