The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) imposed sanctions against athletes in Russia who supported aggression against Ukraine. The record holder for the number of matches for the Ukrainian national football team Anatoliy Tymoshchuk is among those who have been banned.
This is reported on the website of the Verkhovna Rada.
"Russian and Belarusian athletes have repeatedly publicly supported the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the genocide of the Ukrainian people and the deportation of Ukrainians," the draft resolution reads.
The sanctioned list includes 56 former and current athletes. Among them are ex-boxer and member of the Russian State Duma Mykola Vvaluev and Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva.
Tymoshchuk was born in Lutsk and is a pupil of the local "Volyn". He spent the main part of his career in Shakhtar Donetsk. After that, Tymoshchuk spent four years in Zenit St. Petersburg and Bayern Munich. He is the record holder for the number of matches in the Ukrainian national team — 144.
The player was repeatedly criticized for the fact that he continued to work in Russia after the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014. After February 24, 2022, Tymoshchuk refused to comment on the Russian invasion. In the spring, the Ukrainian Football Association deprived Tymoshchuk of the record holder status.