"Maybe They'll Put Me In Jail Or Kill Me": Ex-Russia Captain On Speaking Out Against War In Ukraine

"Maybe they'll put me in jail or kill me for these words, but I'm telling it like it is," said Igor Denisov.

The former captain of the men's Russian national soccer team was speaking to sports journalist Nobel Arustamyan in an interview published on YouTube.

Denisov, 38, is one of the highest-profile sports stars still living in the country to speak out against the war in Ukraine. 

But words such as "war" and "invasion" are not approved vocabulary in Russia and are likely to be censored.

What began in Ukraine on February 24 and has since resulted in an estimated five-figure death toll is officially referred to as a "special military operation" by Russian leaders.

But Denisov, who represented Russia in 54 matches between 2008 and 2016, has described the invasion ordered by president Vladimir Putin as a "catastrophe" and a "complete horror".

Russia captain Igor Denisov (left) pictured shaking hands with Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo before a game in 2012

IMAGO/Chernykh

Denisov revealed that he wrote to Putin months ago to beg him to stop.

"I am a proud guy. This was after three or four days," Denisov explained.

"I even said to him that I am ready to go on my knees before you so that he would stop it all."

Some words from Denisov's interview with Arustamyan appear to have been blanked out by a crackling sound.