Former Russian football star dies fighting Ukraine

Former Russian international footballer, Aleksei Bugayev, has died fighting for his country in their invasion of Ukraine, per Mail Sport.

Bugayev was in prison when he was recruited to join Putin's invasion force, per GiveMeSport. Per The Daily Mail, Putin and his forces have been actively recruiting from prisons and jails as casualties mount.

The situation has got so dire for the Russian military, Putin was forced to sign the recruitment of prisoners into law following up to 200,000 casualties. Some are even being allowed to join the military ahead of any potential trial or conviction, per the Daily Mail.

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The former Lokomotiv Moscow player had been given a 10-year sentence for a drug trafficking conviction. His guilty plea had already reduced the sentence from 20 years.

Reports from Russia suggest, Bugayev was attempting to traffic and sell up to half a kilogram of methylephedrine, a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, per GiveMeSport.

Bugayev's father confirmed the news, telling Sport24, “Unfortunately, the news about Aleksei's death is true. It happened today,” per Metro.

The Russian's body is currently unable to be recovered due to heavy fighting in the area, per Bugayev's former agent.

Bugayev's career as a professional footballer lasted just over a decade, with his final professional game coming in 2010 for Krasnodar.

The defender also represented his country on the pitch seven times, including appearances at Euro 2004. He played in Russia's 2-1 victory over eventual champions, Greece, in the early stages of the tournament.

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There have been recent suggestions a peace deal could be possible between Russia and Ukraine as the war nears three full years.