Dmytro Martynenko, 25, footballer from Kyiv
Photo: Private
Athletes are among the victims of Russian aggression. How many is unclear. Here fellow players, teachers and relatives talk about the hopes and dreams of four of them.
Dmytro Martynenko, 25 years old, football
When Pavlo remembers Dmytro Martynenko, he thinks of a team-mate who was always ahead of him at the meeting point on matchdays. One who took responsibility. One who never missed a game. And now there will be no more.
Dmytro Martynenko had to learn that there could be war in Europe. When the pro-Russian militias went into battle in his home region of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in 2014, he fled with his family. They stayed near Kyiv, where he later met Pavlo. In a Viber chat with FAS, he writes that they played in a futsal team last year. “A strong player,” writes Pavlo. Often dribbled, often shot. They usually signed up for amateur tournaments. Anyone who took part knew who Dmytro Martynenko was.
