Photo: FIFPRO/Twitter
Two professional soccer players from Ukraine, as well as a celebrated former junior biathlete, have been killed while protecting their country in the ongoingRussian invasion.
The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) confirmed the deaths of soccer players Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko on Tuesday, and on Wednesday the International Biathlon Union announced the death of former Ukrainian biathlete Yevhen Malyshev.
FIFPRO shared itsstatementon Twitter, which read, “Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and teammates of young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo (21) and Dmytro Martynenko (25), football’s first reported losses in this war. May they both rest in peace.”
Sapylo played for the Football Club Karpaty Lviv youth team, while Martynenko played for FC Gostomel, according toYahoo! Sport.
(Ukraine iscurrently prohibitingmen ages 18–60 from leaving the country under a reported military mobilization order.)
“Above all, the IBU expresses its deepest condolences on the loss of former Ukrainian biathlete Yevhen Malyshev (19), who died this week serving in the Ukrainian military,” the organization wrote.
Andy Wong/AP/Shutterstock
Before it confirmed the deaths of Sapylo and Martynenko, FIFPROissued a statementcalling for the suspension of the Russian Football Union amid the invasion.
They wrote, in part, “FIFPRO supports all players and football bodies around the world who choose not to play against Russian teams in this distressing moment in time.”
They continued, “Our unions in Poland, Sweden, and Czech Republic are in direct contact with the players, whose position to not play, no matter the venue, remains steadfast. Many other players and unions around the world have expressed their support. We therefore call to suspend the RFS with immediate effect until peace, security, and the rule of law are restored.”
FIFPRO added, “Finally, we call on further support for the global efforts to evacuate the innocent people caught in the middle of this war. Hundreds of thousands of people who wish to leave Ukraine remain, including members of our unions, and we call on continued and increased cooperation to aid their evacuation.”
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Thousands more people have fled or tried to escape Ukraine amid warnings of a possible"refugee crisis."
“You don’t know where to go, where to run, who you have to call,” Liliya Marynchak, a 45-year-old teacher in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, told PEOPLE recently of the moment her city was bombed.
“This is just panic,” she said.
Various countries have also pledged aid or military support to Ukraine as PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyyhas called for peace talks while urging his country to resist.
Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the interest of so-called “peacekeeping.”
“The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine,” U.S. PresidentJoe Bidensaid as the invasion began in force in February.
source: people.com
