UEFA commemorates Russian drug dealer pardoned for combat in Ukraine, while Moscow’s war kills 500 Ukrainian athletes

The UEFA Congress in Belgrade has held a moment of silence to honor Russian football players, coaches, and referees who passed away in 2024, Tribuna reports. Among those commemorated was Alexey Bugayev, a former Russian national team footballer who was killed while fighting in Ukraine.

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

In September 2024, Bugayev was sentenced to nine years and six months in a high-security prison for attempted drug trafficking. Meduza reports he signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry in exchange for a pardon. The tribute also honored football figures like Mykhailo Fomenko, Anatoliy Konkov, Volodymyr Lazarenko, and Andriy Shchepotyev. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate and the Ministry of Youth and Sports have published details on 11 Russian athletes and esports players who publicly support Russia's war against Ukraine. These individuals participate in events on occupied Ukrainian territories, promote support for Russian troops, and personally visit soldiers in Ukraine—all while continuing to compete in international sports events. Among them:

• Fedor Chudinov – Russian boxer, member of the Champions Council of the Russian Boxing Federation, United Russia party, and Night Wolves motorcycle club. He organizes propaganda events on occupied Ukrainian territories, including those aimed at re-educating Ukrainian children.
• Imam Ganishov – Wrestler, international master of sports. He personally visited Russian troops in occupied Zaporizhzhia, taking photos and videos in support of the war.

In total, the "Champions of Terror" section now contains data on 148 Russian athletes, esports players, and sports officials who support Kremlin aggression against Ukraine. Earlier, the UEFA took steps to reinstate Russia in international football competitions. FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, not for moral reasons, but because at least 12 European associations refused to play matches against them, with an anticipation that would have risen to 18. Typically, under such circumstances, the country refusing to play faces a higher risk of suspension. In this case, UEFA and FIFA ultimately had to choose between excluding 12 teams or just one. It became a matter of “preserving the integrity of the competition,” which is why Russia was essentially suspended for technical reasons.

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