UEFA pays tribute to ex-player who joined Russian army against Ukraine

Tribuna reported the information.  

Among those honored by UEFA was former Russia national team player Alexei Bugayev, who fought in the Russian army against Ukraine and was eliminated during the ongoing war.

Bugayev was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison by a court in southern Russia on drug trafficking charges. He later announced his intention to enlist and fight in the war in Ukraine instead of serving the sentence, as Russian authorities actively recruit prisoners for the war.

Before the memorial, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin addressed the attendees, saying, "I would like to invite you to observe a minute of silence in memory of the members of the European football family who have passed away since our last congress."

During this moment of silence, Ukrainian football figures – Mykhailo Fomenko, Anatoliy Konkov, Volodymyr Lazarenko, and Andriy Shchepotyev – who had also passed away, were also honored.

• Over the past day, the occupying Russian army lost at least 1,390 soldiers and a number of military vehicles in the war against Ukraine.