Russia’s Defence Ministry said former Ukrainian footballer Yegor Azbukin was captured in the Sumy region. The ministry says he became lost in a forest and surrendered to Russian troops from the Sever group.
According to the ministry, Azbukin was mobilized into Ukraine’s armed forces in 2024. Before that, he played for Ukrainian and Hungarian teams and was close to a trial with Moscow’s CSKA.
After training, Azbukin was assigned to guard vehicles near the city of Lebedyn, the ministry said, before later being moved to positions in the Shostka district. The ministry said Russian troops detected a Ukrainian position and attacked it.
These details come from Russia’s Defence Ministry. The published report did not provide independent confirmation of the circumstances of his capture.