Aleksei Bugayev, who played for Russia at Euro 2004, has been killed aged 43 while fighting in Ukraine. The ex-Lokomotiv Moscow defender declared his intention to fight for Vladimir Putin’s forces after being handed a nine-and-a-half year prison sentence on drug trafficking charges in southern Russia in September.
![[Russian defender Alexei Bugayev (L) figh]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-50979601.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594)
Russian authorities have made an effort to recruit in prisons throughout the conflict. ‘Unfortunately, the news about Aleksei’s death is true. It happened today,’ TASS news agency quoted the player’s father Ivan Bugayev as telling Russian publication Sport24.
![[Russia's players pose, 20 June 2004 prio]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-50979535.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594)
According to Bugayev’s agent Anton Smirnov, the intense fighting has made it impossible to immediately recover his former client’s body. Bugayev made his first-team debut for Torpedo Moscow in 2001 and went on to represent Tom Tomsk, Lokomotiv Moscow, Khimki and Krasnodar before retiring from the game in 2010 at the age of 29.
![[Russian President Vladimir Putin Attends Supreme Eurasian Economic Council Meeting]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2190865025.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
A centre-back by trade, Bugayev was capped seven times in total by the Russia national team, including two appearances at the 2004 European Championship in Portugal. Bugayev played the full 90 minutes of Russia’s 2-0 defeat to tournament hosts Portugal before featuring in the side’s 2-1 victory over Greece – who would go on to lift the trophy.
Despite defeating Greece, Russia failed to advance beyond the group stage and Bugayev announced his retirement from international duty the following year. Shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the FA confirmed that England would refuse to play Russia at any level while the conflict wages on.
