Football world mourns tragic death of two players in Ukraine

The football world is mourning after two young Ukrainian footballers have reportedly died during Ukraine's heroic fight to stop Russia's invasion.

FIFPRO, the global union for professional football players, took to social media on Wednesday to send their condolences to the families of 21-year-old Vitalii Sapylo and 25-year-old Dmytro Martynenko after reports of their death in Ukraine.

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Sapylo played for Karpaty Lviv's youth team.

The 21-year-old reportedly died "in combat with Russian forces defending Kiev".

Martynenko played for FC Gostomel.

The 25-year-old died after a Russian bombing of his home.

"Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and teammates of young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo (21) and Dmytro Martynenko (25), football’s first reported losses in this war," the post read.

"May they both rest in peace."

A number of athletes have taken up arms in Ukraine to defend their nation from Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion.

A number of boxers that are helping out include Vasily Lomachenko, Oleksandr Usyk and retired heavyweights Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali Klitschko.

Brazilian footballers flee Ukraine

Since the beginning of the invasion, flights are near non-existent out of Ukraine as millions of citizens attempt to flee the war enforced upon them by Putin.

This resulted in Brazilian players from Kiev and Shakhtar Donetsk - the only two clubs to have won the Ukrainian league in the last three decades - to plead for help to leave the war-torn country.

Since the plea on social media, Shakhtar Donetsk announced the players and their families had been evacuated safely.

"The evacuation of the players was made possible thanks to the personal assistance of UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, the Ukrainian Football Association President Andrii Pavelko and the Moldovan Football Federation President Leonid Oleinichenko," the club said.

“We want to thank for the assistance everyone who took part in this process.”

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