From the pitch to the front lines: Winnipeg goalkeeper enlists with Ukrainian armed forces

A professional soccer player from Winnipeg is trading in his cleats for a rifle to fight on the front lines for the country he was born in.

Despite not owning a Ukrainian passport, Svyatik Artemenko enlisted with Ukraine's armed forces Friday — one day after Russia invaded Ukraine. He tried to enlist Thursday in the western Ukrainian city of Khmelnytskyi, but was turned away before being approved the next day.

In an Instagram video call from the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Saturday afternoon, Artemenko said he waited in line to enlist for over two hours Friday.

He was born in Odesa before his family immigrated to Canada when he was two years old, but has gone back to the city several times since.

"I honestly was expecting to have a sense of fear among the crowd, like silence … but that was absolutely not the case," Artemenko said of the atmosphere among those waiting to enlist.

"Everyone was going there. They were ready to put their lives down on the line, and there was absolutely no sense of fear."

The 22-year-old arrived in Ukraine on Jan. 29, and was in Khmelnytskyi for a tryout with FC Podylla, a second division professional soccer team in Ukraine. His tryout proved successful and he inked a contract with the club the day before Russians military attacked Ukraine.

Artemenko was living and playing soccer in Guelph, Ont., last fall when someone affiliated with FC Podylla saw him play and offered the former Valour FC goalkeeper a tryout. 

He was coming off two championships in November. 

Artemenko led Guelph United F.C., a men's semi-pro soccer club, to win the League1 Ontario title, and backstopped the University of Guelph Gryphons men's soccer squad to an unbeaten Ontario University Athletics regular season and the conference title.

For the time being, however, Artemenko's soccer career has been put on hold.

"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 said.

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He travelled from Khmelnytskyi to Odesa on Saturday and said there is a stark contrast in the mood between the two cities.