Missing in action: Young Russian athlete vanishes after bold protest
It is unknown where the 17-year-old who protested against the war in Ukraine has disappeared to. Teenager Denis Bushuiev publicly demonstrated his opposition. Exactly a year ago, the young ski jumper stood in the centre of Nizhny Novgorod with a sign that read: “No to war. No to madness."
Russian athletes are preparing to return to international arenas. In the Ski Jumping World Cup, Russian ski jumpers, among others, wish to compete once again. The athletes were barred from participating in competitions following the Ukraine war outbreak.
Many athletes from Russia openly supported the invasion of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Among them were Irina Avvakumova and Evgeniy Klimov. Denis Bushuiev, however, openly opposed Vladimir Putin. A year ago, the jumper made a bold demonstration of courage.
As "Przegląd Sportowy" reminds us, exactly a year ago, on the second anniversary of the war's outbreak, the 17-year-old printed a card with the words "No to war. No to madness." The teenage jumper stood with it in the centre of Nizhny Novgorod.
The jumper said that bystanders approached him with sympathy. Fifteen minutes after the event began, Russian police officers appeared. The 17-year-old was taken to the police station.
Following this, Bushuiev faced repercussions at school (he was summoned for a so-called preventive talk). He was entered into the internal register of Russian services. A few months later, the young jumper attended an anti-war demonstration.
To be honest, I no longer want to become a great athlete. Firstly, I am tired of sports, and secondly, even if I ever managed to go to international competitions, I would not want to represent today's Russia. For now, I’m in the team; it’s my job, so I have to ensure good results - Bushuiev said, as quoted by "Przegląd Sportowy".
"Przegląd Sportowy" reports that the last information about the 17-year-old jumper comes from the time of this demonstration. It is unknown what is happening with Denis Bushuiev. He has disappeared without a trace.
