Defense forces eliminated a Russian soccer player on the front lines
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have killed Russian soldier Leonid Samokhin.
Samokhin was born on October 23, 1986, and played soccer at the amateur level for many years.
He played for the “Gazmyas” and “Granit” teams from Ozersk in the Chelyabinsk region of the Russian Federation.
According to Russian propaganda sources, the occupier was killed on January 30, 2025, but his body was only discovered recently.
Gennady Mokroborodov, the former coach of the teams for which Samokhin played, described him as “a very intelligent, technically skilled soccer player with good speed over distance and a strong shot.”
The funeral for the killed soldier is scheduled for Friday, May 22, 2026.
At the same time, reports from propaganda outlets do not specify the circumstances of his death.
Russian opposition journalist Dmitry Nizovtsev commented on the situation, noting that Samokhin had financial difficulties and signed a contract with the military because of his debts.
“He was up to his ears in debt. That’s why he signed the contract. He paid off his debts after receiving his payment. But then he had to go to war. And die. At the age of 46. That’s the kind of person he was,” Nizovtsev noted.
According to him, Samokhin’s story illustrates the social reasons why some Russians end up at war.
On May 16, 2026, in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, the “Sila” sports club organized an arm-wrestling tournament dedicated to the memory of the invader Maxim Volin.
