Russian footballers have begun to speak out against their country’s devastating invasion of Ukraine, with goalkeeper Stanislav Kritsyuk saying his team-mates can no longer hide behind ‘separating politics and sport’.
The onslaught in eastern Europe has now reached its seventh day, with thousands feared dead as Vladimir Putin’s forces look to take the capital city of Kyiv. While the violence continues, a host of athletes have spoken out to call for peace.
So far, players from Russia have remained largely quiet on the situation, but national team captain Artem Dzyuba broke his silence after being savaged by Ukrainian stars. He did not condemn Russia’s aggressive actions, however.
Zenit St Petersburg’s Kritsyuk, though, has publicly urged for calm as tensions escalate, insisting he is not ‘only a football player’ but a ‘citizen, a father and a son’.
In a short message, he said: ‘All these days I, like many of us, are restless in my soul. It would be possible to find an excuse: “Sport is out of politics” – and focus on training. But this is just an attempt to deceive yourself.
‘Because I am not only a football player, but also a person, a citizen, a father, a son. And I am against anyone suffering and dying.
‘To the world – peace, any human life is a value, clear skies above everyone’s heads! This is how I was taught from childhood.’
His comments are a stark contrast to that of Dzyuba. The 33-year-old described war as a ‘frightful thing’ in a statement on Instagram, spoke of his pride in his nationality and hit back at the Ukrainian footballers ‘who sit on their a** in mansions in England.’
Russian footballer Stanislav Kritsyuk has spoken out against the escalating crisis in Ukraine
National team captain Artem Dzyuba broke his silence after being savaged by Ukrainian stars
Dzyuba, a team-mate of Kritsyuk at club level, also accused them of saying ‘nasty things’ to him and aired his frustration at Russian athletes being punished.
Sportspeople from the country have been barred from competing in a wide range of events after the incursion of Ukraine, with Russia even kicked out of the World Cup.
Everton and Ukraine defender Vitaliy Mykolenko furiously called Dzyuba a ‘silent b***h’ and his international peers ‘s***heads’ for not speaking out to condemn the crisis. He also said that ‘you and your kids will spend your lives in a dungeon.’
Oleksandr Zincheko, the Manchester City defender, labelled Putin a ‘creature’ and wished him a ‘painful death’ in an astonishing verbal assault.
Oleksandr Zincheko (left) and Vitaliy Mykolenko (right) have spoken out against the invasion
In a lengthy Instagram post, Dzyuba expressed his pride at being Russian but condemned war
Dzyuba was targeted by West Ham forward Andriy Yarmolenko, also of Ukraine, after he raised the issue of his notorious sex tape and said ‘I know some of you like to show your balls on camera but now the time’s come to show your balls in real life’.
Yesterday, Dzyuba hit back on social media. He wrote: ‘Until recently, I did not want to speak on the topic of events in Ukraine.
‘I didn’t want to, not because I’m afraid, but because I’m not an expert in politics, I never got into it and didn’t intend to (unlike a large number of political scientists and virologists who have recently appeared on the Internet).
‘But like everyone else, I have my own opinion. Since I am being drawn to this topic from all sides, I will express it.
‘I am against any war. War is a frightful thing. But I am also against human aggression and hatred, which is gaining some sort of devastating scale every day.
Andriy Yarmolenko (centre) took aim at Dzyuba and made reference to his infamous sex tape
‘I am not afraid that I am Russian. I’m proud to be Russian. And I don’t understand why athletes have to suffer now. I am against double standards.
‘Why is it that one can do everything, and they hang all dogs on us.
‘Why has everyone shouted about sports staying outside of politics but, at the first opportunity, when it comes to Russia, this principle is completely forgotten?
‘I repeat, war is scary. In stressful situations, people show their true essence, sometimes negative.
‘How much anger, dirt and bile has now been poured on all Russian people, regardless of their position and profession.
An apartment building in Borodyanka is seen on Thursday morning almost totally destroyed
A force of around a dozen Russian vessels with landing ships is massing off the coast of Crimea
‘Those thousands of people why write insults and threats, get in line!
‘It is doubly strange to hear all this from people to whom Russia has given very, very much in their lives. All this only creates more negativity.
‘The war will end but human relations will remain and it will be impossible to rewind back. Keep this in mind.’
Today, a defiant Volodymyr Zelensky vowed that Ukraine will be rebuilt with Russian money and praised his troops’ heroic defence across the country.
Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said that ‘all lines of defence are holding’, despite the cities of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mykolaiv all coming under attack.
‘They wanted to destroy us. They failed,’ he said. ‘We’ve been through so much. And if anyone thinks that, having overcome all this, Ukrainians will be frightened, broken or surrender, they know nothing about Ukraine.
He then added: ‘We will restore every house, every street, every city and we say to Russia: learn the word “reparations”.
‘You will reimburse us for everything you did against our state, against every Ukrainian, in full.’
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