Russia is sending Uzbeks to a death zone — Do Not Go to Russia!

Today, it has become widely known that young Uzbek men who traveled to various regions of Russia as labor migrants are being forcibly taken to participate in the invasion of Ukraine by cruel and inhumane methods. Widely known — yes; known to everyone — no. Those who have not yet experienced such misfortune comfort themselves with the false belief that “if your documents are complete, you follow the rules while in Russia, and you avoid illegal acts, no one will touch you.”

From the start of Russia’s criminal invasion of Ukraine until now, many of the young men who were forcibly taken to the front by deceitful and illegal means — and whose bodies were later returned in metal coffins — actually had complete paperwork. Believe us: Russia is not a place to choose for work today. That is why our video series titled “Do Not Go to Russia” continues. The grief of mothers and fathers whose children were forced into the invasion, then later returned as corpses, is shaking social media.

The tragic case of the young man from Surkhandarya that we covered weeks ago is among these stories. Unfortunately, he has still not been returned from the frontline. Most state agencies are behaving as if unaware of the situation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has fallen into deep silence. Distressingly, the young man has done everything he can to avoid being forced into combat — including attempting to flee and refusing orders. The most painful part is that he can still be rescued now. As we understand, the ministry is taking measures. The young man’s mother is at the ministry almost every day.

All we can do at the moment is repeat: do not go to Russia. This is not the time for resentful comments such as “what can we do if there are no jobs here?” or “if we were provided with work at home, people wouldn’t go there — it’s easy to talk.” This is about life and health. If those matters do not matter to you, then go ahead — a country awaits you that uses crude methods to conscript people into an invading army. Its borders may be open, but return is not guaranteed. Do not go to Russia. Stay here or go to countries with stable political and social environments. If you are already ignoring the language barrier, you are already playing with fire.

We know that not knowing the language can still allow someone to find work in Russia. But that convenience for non-Russian-speaking migrants has become a death risk. Many of the horrific incidents we report are directly linked to the victims’ inability to speak Russian. QALAMPIR.UZ’s “Do Not Go to Russia” series will continue.

The young man is still alive; the mother is frantic; the foreign ministry is taking action.

Earlier, a video appeared online — sent in response to an appeal to QALAMPIR.UZ — claiming that 23-year-old Uzbek citizen Akbar Akramjonovich Qurbanov from Surkhandarya was deceitfully forced by Russian actors to join the invasion. The young man’s mother has been knocking on state agencies’ doors, waiting for results. The issue has not yet been resolved. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson told QALAMPIR.UZ that work is under way but that details cannot be disclosed. Baboyeva, who continues to appeal to officials in hopes of rescuing her seriously endangered son, says the ministry is actively handling the case. We understand she is at the ministry almost every day.

At present, the 23-year-old Akbar frequently contacts his mother and others by phone. Baboyeva sent QALAMPIR.UZ the geolocation of the site where her son is being held. According to that geolocation, Akbar is now between the Yurevka and Kamysheva areas in Luhansk. Worryingly, those areas are only about 150 kilometers from the active combat zones in Donetsk — Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk — which is a dangerously short distance. Akbar and his mother tell our editorial team he is being kept in harsh and dire conditions. Daily beatings, pressure, and torture are wearing down him and others. Most alarming, they are preparing him for military operations, suggesting he may soon be sent to active fighting zones.

Akbar has learned that other people who were deceived into joining the invasion but have not yet been taken to combat zones are being supplied with inedible rations and disgraceful food. The young man’s teeth and a toe were broken. His mother says his body is covered with injuries. As noted, he is still able to communicate now, but such contact will likely be cut off once he is taken to the front. At present, however, there is still a possibility to rescue him quickly.

According to Baboyeva, days earlier she learned that Senegal and Hungary had managed to evacuate and rescue their citizens who had been similarly deceived into the invasion. Akbar has witnessed dozens of Uzbeks being taken to the battlefield. His mother says some of them went willingly after being recruited by Russia; others were deceived, coerced, or rounded up by various tricks.

Baboyeva told QALAMPIR.UZ she has provided authorities with most of the information she has — including who recruited her son, who first called him, and with whom he communicated on Telegram — but so far it has not produced results. She said this to our outlet with tears. Our editorial team understands that the Foreign Ministry is continuing its efforts on the case. Baboyeva has also shared the information with us personally.

Be alert!

The 23-year-old’s plight has become a high-profile case since September of this year. The policy of forcibly recruiting foreign nationals into the invasion has placed him in such a tragic situation that it might befit a movie script. It is a deeply distressing and dehumanizing set of actions that trample on human dignity and fate. Many Uzbeks see these moves as the result of the policies enacted by Putin and his inner circle. We previously discussed Akbar’s case in detail. Repeating the facts serves as both a warning and a reminder, because Akbar and his mother have shared many more details over time.

Akbar Qurbanov left for Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan on July 30 of this year to work. For about a month he worked at a factory that produces automotive parts. Later, he was offered truck-driving work. Initially, the contact was made by phone. The young man, who knew only limited Russian and held a B and C category driver’s license, trusted the deceivers who were searching for drivers.

On September 8, he traveled alone from Tatarstan through Krasnodar to Rostov, covering more than 1,500 kilometers, unaware that he was falling into the trap of Russia’s invasion recruiters and would end up near the Ukrainian border in Rostov.

The location likely did not raise immediate suspicion for him. Moreover, many people may not be aware of frequent drone strikes in Rostov. Unaware of the latest developments and ignorant of the scale of Russia’s invasion, Akbar arrived in Rostov. In the initial days, he was told that before starting driving, he needed a medical checkup. That medical check was to take place at a military recruitment office. Then he was told he needed to sign a contract to secure the job. The young man, who did not fully understand the documents, hesitated to sign. But relentless physical pressure and threats of imprisonment for up to ten years forced Akbar to sign.

He was coerced into the scheme by militarized personnel identified as Kirill and Mikhail. QALAMPIR.UZ has only one photo, which appears to show Mikhail. The recruitment operation was organized by people such as Sergei and Andrei Kolesnikov. Our editorial team currently has video of a person who calls himself Sergei. Early in the process, that individual sent messages to Akbar, assuring him he would not be deceived and providing details about where he would be located and what work he would do.

Afterward, Akbar Qurbanov was taken to a military training ground. According to his mother, following relatives’ advice he tried to escape the compound. In a sense he succeeded at first, but halfway through his attempted flight the vehicle he was riding was stopped and sold by the vehicle’s owner. The 23-year-old was captured and thrown into a cellar. Baboyeva initially told us her son had no other clothing and was being fed only boiled rice. Recently, she reported that they were being given inedible substances and foul liquids as food. Rozigul Baboyeva is primarily concerned about the physical violence; under such torture, Akbar’s teeth and toe were reportedly broken. These injuries are visible in the videos circulating online.

Now the mother fears even worse outcomes. Akbar is being forcibly prepared for combat, which would mean sending him to the frontline. If he and those around him resist initial military training, they face further physical violence. Rozigul’s only son is barely able to stand and is said to be weak and exhausted. To date, QALAMPIR.UZ has only been able to confirm these facts.

Do not go to Russia!

For a long time the most pressing concern about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Uzbek migrants was that joining a foreign army could lead to criminal liability and imprisonment. But it is now clear that not all Uzbek young men are going to the invasion willingly, for money, or for housing. After hearing about the schemes used by Russia’s recruiting machinery, many people wonder how many more young Uzbeks have been forcibly taken to the invasion. The methods used to coerce them are even more repulsive.

For example, the outlet Verstka previously published an article detailing how foreigners are being sent to the war. It described that coercive and illegal methods are widely used, including planting illegal substances on migrants’ belongings and accusing them, threats, physical violence, or labeling them as extremists. Those findings align with the appeals and reports now circulating on social media.

Such cases are numerous. For instance, another Uzbek citizen who was forcibly recruited by Russia reached the frontline in Ukraine and immediately surrendered. His video appeal was broadcast by the Nexta Live channel. The 31-year-old from Bukhara said he was forced to sign a contract to serve in the Russian army. Local police allegedly threatened him with 12–18 years in prison on drug charges. He had two choices: prison or the frontline.

Upon arrival at the front, one of Ukraine’s military drones identified him. He surrendered unarmed. He said he bought his own communication devices and military gear and described disorder and deception within the Russian army. He reported that so many soldiers’ bodies were on the battlefield that there was no room to step. The Uzbek man said he did not want to return to Russia and requested assistance from the Uzbek government to come home.

Thus, the current situation in Russia is as follows. One day you might be going to work or on a delivery route; while traveling, you are stopped under the pretext of document checks, taken to an office, and then some accusation is fabricated against you using your belongings or phone. You are threatened with prison on charges such as terrorism or drug trafficking, or “drugs” are planted among the items you are delivering, and suddenly you have fallen into a trap. Do not go to Russia.