Kazakh Citizen Sentenced to Six Years for Fighting in Russian Army

A Kazakh citizen has been sentenced to six years in prison for participating in a foreign armed conflict after voluntarily joining the Russian military.

According to court documents, the man, born in 2000, traveled to Russia in February 2025 seeking work. There, following a proposal from volunteers, he voluntarily enlisted in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, signing a one-year contract. After completing training, he was deployed to a combat zone.

The defendant was wounded on April 30. In early July, he left his position without authorization and returned to Kazakhstan.

The Kyzylzhar District Court of the North Kazakhstan Region found him guilty under Article 172 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan ("Participation in Foreign Armed Conflicts"). The court sentenced him to six years of imprisonment to be served in a medium-security penal institution.

Kazakh law imposes strict penalties for involvement in foreign conflicts. Participation in hostilities on another country's territory carries a prison term of five to nine years. The more severe charge of mercenarism is punishable by seven years to life imprisonment, with possible revocation of citizenship and confiscation of property.

In a related case, Kazakhstan has issued an arrest warrant for 30-year-old Nursultan Isakov. A Ukrainian state project previously reported that Isakov had been captured as a prisoner of war.