Alexey Bugaev, a former striker for the Russian national football team who played at the 2004 European Championship, was killed yesterday during fighting in Ukraine, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA, citing Russian media.
“Unfortunately, the news of Alexei's death is true“, said the father of the deceased Ivan Bugaev, quoted by TASS.
Bugaev's agent Anton Smirnov told RIA Novosti that the fierce fighting made it impossible to find the player's body in order to organize a funeral.
Bugaev, who died at the age of 43, played two matches for the Russian national team at the 2004 European Championship. He also played for the Moscow teams “Torpedo“ and “Lokomotiv“. He ended his sports career in 2010.
In September, Bugaev was sentenced by a court in southern Russia to nine and a half years in prison for drug trafficking. He later announced his intention to fight in Ukraine. Russian authorities are actively recruiting soldiers for the conflict from prisons, Reuters notes.