MADRID, 1 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Two Ukrainian soccer players have died during the Russian invasion of the country: Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko, as reported on Tuesday by the world players’ union (FIFPro), which has expressed its sorrow and pain at the deaths.
Vitalii Sapylo, 21, belonged to Karpaty Lviv’s youth team, while Dmytro ‘Dima’ Martynenko, at the age of 25, played for FC Gostomel.
“Our thoughts are with the families, friends and teammates of young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko, football’s first reported losses in this war. May they both rest in peace,” FIFPro said.
El Karpaty announced Sapylo’s death, saying in a statement that he died on Friday, February 25 “near Kiev” in “combat with Russian forces while defending” the Ukrainian capital. “Eternal memory of this hero,” the club wrote about him.
For his part, Martynenko was killed along with his mother after a bombing at his home, the local Kyiv-Sviatoshynskyi federation explained on its Facebook page.
FIFA and UEFA announced this week that Russian teams have been suspended from international and club competitions until further notice.