Olympic medalist from Russia prematurely retires due to father, killed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Russian gymnast Anastasia Ilyankova ends her sports career

The Olympic medalist from the Russian national team, who represented the country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Anastasia Ilyankova, has announced her retirement from sports. This was reported by the largest sports resource in Ukraine, Base of Ukrainian Sports.

'I have decided to end my sports career. Unfortunately, due to health problems, I am unable to train at full strength. Additionally, the death of my father in Eastern Ukraine also influenced my decision,' Ilyankova stated.

It is also known that Anastasia's father, Andrei Nikolayevich Ilyankov, was killed by Ukrainian defenders in early December 2023.

It is worth noting that the gymnast herself was noted for supporting the war in Ukraine on her social media pages. She expressed her support for Putin and military actions against Ukraine by liking relevant posts.

News also mentions that Ukrainian defenders eliminated 22-year-old Russian boxer Vladislav Yurkievich. He was a member of the 'Boyets' club and recognized as one of the strongest boxers in Siberia.

According to Russian media, another casualty due to the actions of Ukrainian defenders was Vladimir Fedorov, a resident of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, and a coach of the 'Fakel' football club.

In the comments to the news, social media users sympathize with Fedorov's wife and children. The coach's burial is scheduled in the city of Kotovo, Volgograd Oblast.

Also, one of the former players of the Russian national football team, Alexey Bugayev, fell under the fire of Ukrainian defenders. Bugayev played for Russian clubs 'Lokomotiv', 'Tomi', and 'Krasnodar', as well as for the Russian national team. In 2005, he won the Russian Super Cup.

This September, Bugayev was sentenced to 9.5 years of strict regime imprisonment for attempted drug trafficking.