Putin supporter Plushenko explained his son's decision to compete for Azerbaijan instead of Russia

Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko commented on his 13-year-old son Alexander’s move to the Azerbaijani national team. The athlete, who is known for his support of the Kremlin’s policies and the war against Ukraine, explained the reasons behind this decision to pro-Kremlin media outlets.

According to Plushenko, his son’s change in sports citizenship is linked to his desire to continue competing at the international level. At the same time, this situation has caused a significant stir in Russian sports circles.

According to Plushenko, the controversial decision stems from a desire to give his son the opportunity to develop and compete on the international stage.

In May 2026, Alexander Plushenko received Azerbaijani sports citizenship.

“Sanyok lives in Russia and trains at my private academy. No one has funded him except his mom and dad. And in general, sports know no borders. For example, many of our hockey players play in the NHL in the U.S., and many of our soccer players are in Europe and the U.S.—and that’s perfectly normal. Life is a long-distance race.

I’ve made my position clear regarding adult athletes who have already represented our Federation on the international stage transferring to other countries’ national teams. I wouldn’t want my athletes to start playing for other countries, but that applies to those who have already played for our national team. But if you’re only 13 years old and haven’t yet represented any national team (neither junior nor senior) at an international competition, then for heaven’s sake, go out there, delight the fans, enjoy yourself, and have fun. I don’t see any problem with that. “Life will show us what to do next,” Plushenko said.

Evgeni Plushenko is known for his support of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and the war against Ukraine.

Alexander Plushenko is 13 years old. He participates in ice shows alongside his father. Since 2017, the figure skater has been training at the “Plushenko Angels” academy.

This is according to reports in the Russian media.

The son of Putin supporter Plushenko has changed his sporting citizenship and will compete for Azerbaijan.

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