The situations of individual Russian ice hockey players are still unclear, but the researcher sees a clear change in the president’s actions.
Kirill Kaprizov won Olympic gold in 2018 and received a medal and a handshake from a pleased Vladimir Putin. PDO
Russian sports are currently buzzing about ice hockey players who may have obtained a fake military passport with bribes and thus avoided military service.
It all started when a goalkeeper who played his entire career in Russia but signed an NHL contract for next season Ivan Fedotov25, was reportedly transited to complete his military service.
The most recent high-profile case is related to someone who has already reached superstar status in the NHL Kirill to Kaprizov, 25, who was Fifth in the NHL point exchange last season with his 108 power points. Russian Sport-Express website According to Kaprizov, he decided to leave Russia and return to the United States after Fedotov was caught by the authorities.
It has been reported in the US media that Kaprizov’s plan failed due to visa problems. Kaprizov’s visa problems are reportedly not related to army matters.
Kaprizov has also been rumored to have bought a fake military passport, but there is no confirmation of this information.
Ivan Fedotov saved Russia with a goal at the Beijing Olympics. PDO
Three more
In addition, according to Sport-Express, three other hockey players are accused of buying a fake military passport. The players are Mikhail Vorobyov, Vladislav Lukin and Anvar Suleimanov.
Of the trio, only Vorobjov is a high-profile puck player. He is a striker for SKA St. Petersburg. Lukin played six KHL games last season. In the 2020–21 season, Suleimanov played in the Russian junior league, but never reached the professional level.
All five players are united by the fact that they have played in Ufa. According to Sport-Express, a businessman has been arrested in Ufa, who is suspected of passing military passports to ice hockey players.
Mikhail Vorobyov will be in serious trouble if he is found guilty of buying a fake military passport. PDO
Putin’s sacrifices
Investigator Markku Jokisipilä doesn’t think that the military affairs of hockey players have come up in Russia by chance now that the country is at war in Ukraine.
– This is only part of the bigger picture, in a very special way to Vladimir Putin sport was really important for 20 years. Now it feels like it’s not significant anymore at all, says Jokisipilä.
– He has been ready to sacrifice all the benefits that have been obtained through the use of soft power in sports through the success of Russian athletes. They don’t matter anymore. Internationally successful Russian athletes are in a potential danger zone. The country is at a point where anything can happen. Everything is subordinate to a bigger project, i.e. warfare.
Jokisipilä points out that in a war situation, leaving the country with a fake military passport is traditionally thought of as desertion.
– Now we want to send a wider message that this kind of action is not acceptable, but that everyone must support the country’s war against Ukraine. Employers of NHL hockey players are located in countries that Russia interprets as hostile.
Common practice
According to Jokispilä’s understanding, it is very common in Russia that sons of families with a good socio-economic status are able to avoid conscription.
Thus, the puck players now caught in the teeth of the authorities are only a small group of all those who have done the same.
– One typical group that has found it easier to dodge their armed duties is elite athletes. Things have been taken care of for them through different systems so that they do not have to do military service.
Jokisipilä estimates that there could be hundreds of athletes in a similar situation.
– Now a few songs have been selected to warn, for example.