Anatoliy Tymoshchuk charged by Prosecutor General's Office / The New Voice of Ukraine

Ukrainian law enforcers charged former national soccer team captain Anatoliy Tymoshchuk with aiding Russian military efforts by donating a signed jersey to an auction that raised 700,000 rubles ($8,663) for Russia’s 106th Reconnaissance Battalion, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported on May 16.

Since 2017, Tymoshchuk has served as an assistant coach for Russia’s FC Zenit. In 2024, his club participated in a match where players helped raise funds for Russia’s military, with Tymoshchuk contributing a signed jersey sold at auction for 700,000 rubles ($8,663), the proceeds directed to the 106th Reconnaissance Battalion, according to the investigation.

Tymoshchuk remained with Zenit after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and did not condemn the aggression.

Photo: OPG

In 2023, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council imposed 10-year personal economic sanctions on him, stripping him of all state awards.

The Ukrainian Football Association also revoked his coaching license and titles in March 2022, banning him from football activities in Ukraine.

Ex-Ukraine soccer captain Tymoshchuk suspected of aiding Russian military