As a prisoner to the front! Ex-national player dies in the war
Moscow (Russia) - Killedin the war against Ukraine! He spent years on the pitch, ended up in prison after his professional career - and now died as a recruited soldier.
Alexei Bugayev was once a professional footballer and even played for the Russian national team at the 2004 European Championships in Portugal.
But after his career ended, his life fell apart at the seams: he became a criminal, ended up in prison - and as a convicted felon ultimately on the front line, where he has now died.
"Unfortunately, the news of Alexei's death is true," confirmed Ivan Bugayev, father of the 43-year-old, in an interview with the news platform Sport.ru yesterday evening (local time), confirming the reports of his son's death circulating on the internet.
According to the reports, he was killed in an accident in the zone of the northern military district. He had previously been recruited as a soldier by the local armed forces.
Former professional footballer Alexei Bugayev dies on the front line
The seven-time international played professionally from 1999 to 2010, including for the two Moscow clubs Torpedo and Lokomotiv.
In September 2024, Bugayev was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison for drug trafficking, whereupon the former defender enlisted for military service.
It is not uncommon for prisoners to join the military in the hope of reducing their sentence.