A Russian ice hockey star who recently announced his move to an American team is being severely punished for so-called ‘treason’. Ivan Fedotov, 25, was arrested yesterday in Saint Petersburg and taken to an army recruiting office. He is officially suspected of evading his military service. There is now even a chance that he will be sent to the war in Ukraine.
Fedotov is not the best: at the past Winter Games in Beijing, he gave his country the silver medal as a goalkeeper. This year, he led his team CSKA Moscow to the Kontinental Hockey League title.
Last month, however, Fedotov signed a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. The fact that the well-known banner wants to continue its career in the United States has clearly gone wrong.
Close ties to military
His club CSKA (short for Central Sport Club of the Army; ed.) has close ties with the army. Its members are considered military personnel, and players cannot simply cancel their contract. Fedotov, however, gave in to the American deal, which involves a million euros.
Yesterday the keeper was presented with the bill. Video footage shows how he was arrested at the ice rink in Saint Petersburg. Destination: The Army Recruiting Office. In the late hours, he reportedly fell ill and an ambulance came to pick him up. It is not clear where he is now.
Different scenarios
According to the Russian news site Fontanka, several scenarios are possible. Either Fedotov joins the army, or he ends up in prison. And it could be even worse. “In theory, he has too little experience to fight in Ukraine, but because of the shortage of Russian manpower, nothing is certain anymore. There are plenty of stories of 18-year-olds at the front and even 49-year-old men are still being drafted,” a source said.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.