Former Russia international footballer dies, aged 43, fighting in Ukraine - after joining Vladimir Putin's forces to escape 10-year prison sentence for drug smuggling Former international footballer Aleksei Bugayev has been killed while fighting in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, his father confirmed on Monday.
Russia president Vladimir Putin (above) has been keenly recruiting new soldiers to the frontline and has signed a bill to allow prisoners to fight with almost 200,000 of his troops already dead.
After his drug trafficking conviction, Bugayev — who has been held in custody since November 2023 — pledged to fight for Putin's army in Ukraine amid a drive to recruit criminals in Russia.
With reports that approximately 200,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the conflict began, Putin signed a bill to allow prisoners to fight — with some even able to join the frontline ahead of their respective trials.
Bugayev (back row, third right) represented Russia during the 2004 European Championships.