In a bold career pivot, a goalkeeper from Winnipeg has enlisted in the Ukrainian military. Svyatik Artemenko, former goalie for soccer team Guelph United, joined Ukraine’s armed forces on Friday, a day after the country was invaded by Russia.
The 22-year-old was in Ukraine when the attacks started, as he recently signed to play for FC Podylla, a professional soccer team based out of Khmelnytskyi. He says he had no thoughts of fleeing back to Canada.
“I came here for soccer, but soccer’s cancelled due to the war, so I want to get back on that football pitch here and the only way to do it is to end the war,” Artemenko told the CBC.
Though he was raised in Winnipeg, Artemenko was born in the Ukrainian city of Odesa. Though he doesn’t hold a Ukrainian passport, he tried to enlist in the western Ukrainian city of Khmelnytskyi the day the attacks started, but was initially turned away before reapplying in his hometown.
“It is not mandatory for me to enlist because I am a Canadian citizen at the moment,” said Artemenko. “But I think it is really unfair for me to be living here because I did come here for a professional soccer tryout and I did end up signing a contract.
Artemenko already has some military training, as he was a combat engineer with the Canadian Reserve Forces in Winnipeg between the ages of 16 and 18. Though he says he’s scared, Artemenko feels as though he has a duty to help Ukraine.
