Football's global players association FIFPRO has announced two Ukrainian footballers have died defending their country following Russia's invasion.
In the first football casualties of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, two Ukrainian footballers have lost their lives defending their country, as confirmed by global players association FIFPRO. Vitalii Sapylo, 21, and Dmytro Martynenko, 25, have lost their lives, becoming the first football casualties of the war that has entered its seventh day.
A statement by the FIFPRO read, "Our thoughts are with the families, friends and team-mates of young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko, football's first reported losses in this war. May they both rest in peace."
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. pic.twitter.com/f6l9oHHRMr
Goalkeeper Sapylo, part of the third-division side Karpaty Lviv's youth team, joined the Ukrainian armed forces as a tank commander but reportedly died defending the capital Kyiv last Friday. Following this tragic news, Karpaty Lviv hailed him as a 'hero' and confirmed his death on the second day of the Russian invasion.
A club statement said, "We cherish the eternal memory of this hero."
Martynenko, who played for second-division team FC Gostomel, was killed alongside his mother after Russian forces bombed his residence in the capital.
Also read: Man City's Ukrainian star Zinchenko attacks Putin after Russia declared war
The football community took to Twitter to mourn the tragic death of both the Ukrainian footballers, with most people hailing both the players as heroes.
DESCANSEN EN PAZ!!!
Se informó que los futbolistas ucranianos Dmytro Martynenko (25) y Vitali Sapylo (21) perdieron la vida en el conflicto con Rusia pic.twitter.com/pAa6MiBxsF
Young Ukrainian Footballers Dmytro Martynenko (25) and Vitalli Sapylo (21) have both sadly died, becoming football's first reported losses in the war. Our sincere condolences to the relations of the Victims.🙏🇺🇦
— MAXWELL!♌ (@maxcapsalot)TRAGEDY: Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo (21) and Dmytro Martynenko (25) have become football’s first reported losses in the war since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Needless deaths 😢
pic.twitter.com/8UtQuUDf5Q
HEROES - our time go hOME . ! https://t.co/PZFUN9LGpN
— Dr. W.-Chun Chenn (@WenChunChenn)May departed soul rest in heaven. Such a great loss for football Fans 💔 https://t.co/rzmu8fpYKq
— 🦀 (@aradhyakhanal47)Slava Ukraini!! Heroiam slava!!
May they rest in peace 🕊🙏 https://t.co/KGx31nj8bs
‼️🇺🇦🙏R.I.P.
Dima Martynenko and his mother died ....
A Russian bomb hit their house ...
A pupil of Luhansk football, the best scorer and the best player of the second league
as a part of FC Gostomel
Ukrainian Association of Football pic.twitter.com/cA5lUe0fkD
Deux footballeurs ukrainiens ont perdu la vie ce mardi…
Vitalii Sapylo (21 ans, Karpaty Lviv) a été tué au combat à Kiev.
Dmytro Martynenko (25 ans, FC Gostomel) a perdu la vie aux côtés de sa mère, une bombe ayant frappé leur immeuble.
Puisse leurs âmes reposer en paix. 🕊 pic.twitter.com/tMcZb9e65U
จากการที่ประเทศรัสเซียได้ใช้ปฏิบัติการทางทหารโจมตีประเทศยูเครน โดยการทิ้งระเบิด และโจมตีด้วยจรวดนำวิถี ล่าสุด ส่งผลให้ Vitalii Sapylo นักเตะดาวรุ่งวัย 21 ปี ของสโมสร Karpaty Lviv และ Dmytro Martynenko นักเตะวัย 25 ปี ของสโมสร FC Gostomel
RIP
สโมสรสงขลาเอฟซี pic.twitter.com/6n2Za6e84m
Meanwhile, professional skier Yevhen Malyshev too was killed while combating Putin's forces from advancing. The 20-year-old was part of his country's junior team but put his sporting career aside two years ago to serve in the Ukrainian army. The Ukrainian Biathlon Federation confirmed his death in a statement, which read, "We deeply sing to the homeland, to friends and family. Eternal memory by Yevhen Malyshev."
The International Biathlon Union too expressed its deepest condolences and condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and the support provided by Belarus.
Also read: War on Ukraine: Which Russian teams are affected by FIFA, UEFA suspension?
Several Ukrainian sports stars - including heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko and his brother Vitali, Oleksandr Usyk, and Vasyl Lomachenko, have also enlisted in their country's army.
Russia was kicked out of the Qatar World Cup by FIFA earlier this week, with Poland given a bye to a play-off final against Sweden or the Czech Republic later this month.
Although FIFA appeared reluctant to take action against Russian teams given President Gianni Infantino's close ties with Putin, the football governing body suspended Russia's national from all competitions until further notice. UEFA, too, has barred Russian clubs from international leagues with immediate effect.
Spartak Moscow was removed in the Europa League, with German side RB Leipzig advancing to the quarter-finals. UEFA are almost sure to kick Russia out of the women's Euros in England this summer when they are due to playgroup matches against Holland, Switzerland and Sweden and could have faced England in the semi-finals.
UEFA also terminated a sponsorship deal worth 33.5 million pounds a year with Russian energy company Gazprom.
World Rugby too left Russia's hopes of qualifying for next year's World Cup in France in tatters by banning them from all of their competitions. The ITF then banned both Russia and Belarus from team tennis events.
Ukrainian footballers - Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko, Everton left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko and West Ham forward Andriy Yarmolenko - united in a video plea to urge the community to 'stop the destruction and bloodshed' in their homeland following Russia's devastating invasion.
Also read: Everton's Ukrainian star Mykolenko brands Russia's captain Dzyuba 'silent b***h'
On Tuesday, they were joined by Ukraine legend Andriy Shevchenko - who managed his country at Euro 2020 - in sharing a video message of peace.