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Russian footballer Fedor Smolov becomes first national star to condemn invasion of Ukraine

Smolov wrote 'no war' on his social media post along with a broken heart emoji alongside the Ukrainian flag indicating Russia’s attack on the country

Soccer player Fedor Smolov, 32, became the first sportsperson from Russia to call out Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine on Thursday, February 24. Supporting "no war" on his social media post, Smolov, the striker for Dynamo Moscow, posted a black square on his Instagram post after Russia invaded Ukraine through air and land.
 
Russia began the war on its neighbor after President Vladimir Putin signaled the green light. Explosions were reported all across Ukraine. President Putin’s actions are facing strong condemnation from countries worldwide and US President Joe Biden has replied that Russia would face consequences if it messes with the NATO nations. In fact, most of the high-profile people are slamming Putin for his actions.

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Smolov became the first sportsperson to speak out against Putin. He wrote, “Нет войне!!!🇺🇦.” Which means “No war” in English. Smolov also posted broken heart emoji alongside the Ukrainian flag indicating Russia’s attack on the country.

Twitter users appreciated the Russian footballer for calling out on Putin. A user compared the Russian president with Hitler and wrote, “It takes great courage to do this in a country ruled by a dictator like Putin. Hats off to Fedor Smolov.”

Another one wrote, “The first athlete from Russia to come out against the war. Fedor Smolov: "NO WAR.”

A user tweeted, “It’s all so hideously, crushingly sad but those pictures of incredibly brave protesters in Russia displaying disgust at their own government and the courage of people like Fedor Smolov  in speaking out is just a tiny sliver of hope that I pray begins to burn ever brighter.”

A user also demanded the footballer’s protection as he spoke in opposition of his own country’s President. A user wrote, “Protect him at all costs. We need more Russians to speak up...#NoWar #StandWithUkraine.”

Smolov started off his soccer career in 2007 with Dynamo Moscow, where he played for seven seasons. He later played for other clubs in the Russian Premier League. The sports star has played for the Russian national team 45 times and has 16 goals in total.