Former Ukrainian football player Vasily Vasilenko has been sentenced to 12 years in a prison camp in Russia for espionage, a Moscow court announced on Monday.
Vasilenko is said to have tried to acquire discarded Soviet military equipment in Russia, the Ria Novosti news agency reported. He acted on behalf of a company that is closely associated with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, the report said, citing unspecified sources.
The ex-athlete was arrested in October 2019. Initially he was charged with attempting to smuggle dangerous substances, later with espionage. His defence lawyer announced that she would appeal.
No outcry in Ukraine
According to the Ukrainian news website Strana, Vasilenko is now 53 years old and between 1992 and 2001 played as a defender for various Ukrainian football clubs, including the now defunct second division team Torpedo.
Strana was surprised that after the verdict was announced, there was no outcry in Ukraine, "although in such cases it is usually referred to as 'Russian provocation.'"
