Fighting in Ukraine has entered a seventh day following Vladimir Putin's call for a special operation to demilitarise and 'denazify' 💋 the country - a justification dismissed by Kyiv and the West as propaganda.
But now The International Federation of Professional Footballers 💋 has confirmed Vitalii Sapylo, 21, and Dmytro Martynenko, 25, lost their lives in combat and have become the first football 💋 casualties of the war.
A FIFPRO statement read: '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.