Football World Suffers First Casualty of War in Ukraine As 2 Players Die After Combat With Russian Forces

• Ukraine has lost two footballers who were battling to defend the country following the invasion of the Russian army
• Vitalii Sapylo and Dymitro Martynenko lost their lives in combat and have become the first football casualties of the war
• President Vladimir Putin ordered a special operation to demilitarise and 'denazify' the country which has sparked sanctions against Russia

Russia’s war against Ukraine has seen two footballers killed according to football's global player's association, generally known as FIFPRO.

The body announced that two Ukrainian footballers lost their lives while defending their country from the war inflicted by Russia.

It is Day-7 of the Russian invasion after President Vladimir Putin ordered a special operation to demilitarise and 'denazify' the country - a justification dismissed by Kyiv and the West as propaganda.

The football community has been directly hit as 21-year-old Vitalii Sapylo and 25-year-old Dymitro Martynenko lost their lives in combat and have become the first football casualties of the war.

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A FIFPRO statement read via Daily Mail reads:

“Our thoughts are with the families, friends and team-mates of young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko, football's first reported losses in this war. May they both rest in peace.”

Sapylo - a goalkeeper who was part of third-division side Karpaty Lviv's youth team - joined the Ukrainian army as a tank commander but is said to have died defending the capital Kyiv last Friday.

His club Karpaty Lviv labelled him a 'hero' after announcing he had been killed in battle.

Ukraine athlete defeats Russian counterpart

Meanwhile, Ukraine had something to cheer about for the first time since last week Thursday, February 24 when the country was invaded by the Russian military.

Tennis star, Elina Svitolina defeated her Russian counterpart Anastasia Potapova in straight sets at the Monterrey Open in Mexico.

This was the first meeting between the two countries in any sport since the start of the war and Ukraine came out victors as Svitolina rolled over Potapova 6-2, 6-1 to progress to the next round.

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Roman Abramovich selling London homes

Sports Brief earlier reported that the owner of Chelsea Football Club Roman Abramovich is suspected to be selling off his properties in London and this is according to British MP Chris Bryant, Bloomberg reports.

The UK has already sanctioned 100 Russian elites as well as their entities following the invasion of Ukraine, but Abramovich is not mentioned on the list.

He has been barred from living permanently in Britain as sources claim he owns several businesses as well as a real estate firm.