456 Ukrainian athletes and national team coaches have died as a result of russia's aggression against Ukraine. This was stated by the acting Minister for Youth and Sports of Ukraine, Matviy Bidny, in an interview with DW in Brussels.
According to him, the number of deceased and injured Ukrainian athletes is growing almost daily.
"The elite of Ukrainian sports are now defending our independence and our future with weapons in hand", - Bidny emphasized. "We are suffering very significant losses. Just last week, a two-time European weightlifting champion, who finished fourth at the Rio Olympics, was killed". He was referring to Oleksandr Peleshenko, who had been serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the first days of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Additionally, according to the head of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, more than 500 sports facilities and 100 youth infrastructure facilities in Ukraine have been destroyed due to russian attacks.