Russian hockey star Ivan Fedotov has been detained for trying to dodge military service and sent to serve in the country’s far north, Russian media reported on Monday.
One year of military service is mandatory in Russia, but relatively unpopular, and many are now afraid of it because of the prospect of being sent to fight in Ukraine.
Fedotov, the 25-year-old goalkeeper of the Russian national hockey team, recently signed a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers and was soon going to leave for the United States.
Russian media said he was detained in St Petersburg on Friday evening because he was suspected of escaping military service.
Several outlets said that the hockey star was admitted to the hospital after being taken into custody as he was feeling unwell.
Fedotov’s lawyer and state news agency TASS said he was sent to Severomorsk in the Murmansk region of the Arctic, which is also home to a major naval base.
Other media, including the sports newspaper Sport-Express and the Fontanka website, said Fedotov had been sent to Severodvinsk in the neighboring Arkhangelsk region.
His lawyer confirmed that he has been admitted to the hospital.
“Ivan was sent to Severomorsk at night. He was transferred to the hospital, but I have no further information, ”Aleksey Ponomarev told the state news agency RIA Novosti on Sunday.
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Kremlin, which sent troops Ukraine In February, the concern for Fedotov inside and outside Russia shrugged off.
“There is military duty in our law. Therefore any emotional comments on this are absolutely inappropriate, ”spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
Fedotov was the goalkeeper of the Russian team at the 2022 Olympics and helped them win a silver medal.
He played for CSKA Moscow between 2021 and 2022.
Many Russians avoid military service through medical or educational exemptions. Some simply ignore the summons or pay a bribe.
The Russian opposition has accused officials of using military service to punish critics of the Kremlin.
In 2019, Ruslan Shevdinov, an aide to jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny, was handcuffed and sent to a remote Arctic archipelago to serve.
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