Russian football fans go to Ukraine to defend Donbas

Russian football fans volunteered to travel to Ukraine to participate in the special military operation, Andrey Malosolov, the founder of the All-Russian Association of Fans said in an interview with Govorit Moskva radio station.

According to Malosolov, a subdivision of the Vostok group, which includes football fans among its fighters, already operates in the Donetsk direction. It was called Española — after the commander with the call sign "Spaniard". The Spaniard has been serving in the Donbass since 2015. Prior to this, the man was a member of Moscow CSKA Red-Blue Warriors fan group.

"Now they are forming a unit that will consist of football fans. Indeed, there are fans of CSKA, Torpedo, Spartak, Lokomotiv in the group. The total number of so-called "near-footballers” is estimated at about 500 people,” Malosolov said, adding that volunteers are trained in combat operations and work with drones.

Earlier, an instructor at the volunteer training center said that football fans were coming to the Donbass from all over Russia. Some of the recruits have completed the young fighter training course in the Vostok brigade and currently improve their skills with instructors of assault groups in Mariupol.