Fighting in Ukraine has entered a seventh day following Vladimir Putin's call for a special operation to demilitarise and 'denazify' 🛡 the country - a justification dismissed by Kyiv and the West as propaganda.
But now The International Federation of Professional Footballers 🛡 has confirmed Vitalii Sapylo, 21, and Dmytro Martynenko, 25, lost their lives in combat and have become the first football 🛡 casualties of the war.
A FIFPRO statement 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.'
Sapylo - a 🛡 goalkeeper who was part of third-division side Karpaty Lviv's youth team - joined the Ukrainian army as a tank commander 🛡 but is said to have died defending the capital Kyiv last Friday.
His club Karpaty Lviv labelled him a 'hero' after 🛡 announcing he had been killed in battle.
7games baixar baixar aplicativo
