Uzbek soldier shares harrowing tale of survival and conscription
- Those who do not want to go to war face the firing squad, says a 25-year-old Uzbek who was forcibly conscripted into the Russian army. He claims he received his passport in prison and had no other choice. A mortar hit his platoon, and he was the only survivor out of 36 men.
There has been much online discussion recently about Chinese citizens fighting on the Russian side. The Ukrainians even managed to capture two. Volodymyr Zelensky instructed Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs to contact Beijing and find out how the Chinese authorities plan to address the situation.
Along with North Korean citizens, other nationalities are also fighting on the Russian side. For instance, citizens of Uzbekistan are involved. Recently, we reported that 26-year-old Shavkat Yuldashev fought with the Wagner Group. Upon returning to his country, he faced a penalty of two years and six months of corrective labor.
This time, Ukrainian politician Anton Herashchenko released a video featuring another Uzbek citizen. This is Tursunbaev Yorkinbek Vadijon oglu, from the city of Xonobod in eastern Uzbekistan. "In prison, they made me a Russian passport. I didn't even see it. I didn't sign the contract of my own free will. I had no other choice. I was forced," says the 25-year-old Uzbek in the video.
Those who don't want to go to war face the firing squad. If we don't follow the commander's order, we'll be beaten to death. They said I'd either be shot or go to the front. I prayed not to kill anyone," he adds in the recording.
Ukrainians captured the Uzbek near the town of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region. He was supposed to be on the front lines for three days. He claims that a mortar struck his transport, killing 36 men, except for him. "There are many bodies lying along the road. No one pays attention to them. One soldier was asking for help because he had lost his legs. I wasn't able to help him. I want to go home," adds Tursunbaev.
