The former goalkeeper of “Dynamo” and “Shakhtar” was detained while attempting to illegally leave Ukraine, he had offers from Israeli, Cypriot, and Azerbaijani clubs.

Artur Rudko, a former goalkeeper for football clubs such as “Dynamo” and “Shakhtar,” was detained for attempting to illegally cross the Ukrainian border. According to Sport Arena, the athlete is currently, according to unofficial data, undergoing military training at a Ukrainian Armed Forces training center.

The ex-goalkeeper was detained while trying to leave the country. Simultaneously, on September 3, information appeared on the State Border Guard Service’s website that border guards from the Podolsk detachment stopped a car with four men and a 4-year-old child of one of them. The child was deliberately taken to exclude the possibility of using him as a distraction maneuver.

Details of the Detention

It is known that the boy’s mother was aware of the risks and agreed to such a trip. The four detainees were from different regions of Ukraine, including the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. They acted on the instructions of a Telegram channel administrator, where each of them was supposed to transfer 8,000 US dollars to a cryptocurrency wallet after a successful crossing. One of the men had already transferred part of the amount.

Crime Prevention

The crossing was planned in the area of the Transnistrian segment of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border. However, the border guards reacted in time, preventing the attempt and protecting the child from participating in a dangerous scheme. Currently, the boy is safe with his mother. Administrative protocols were drawn up against the detainees under the article on illegal border crossing, and the cases are to be referred to court.

Photos and Documents

There is also a discrepancy in the photos published by various sources. One photo shows the inscription “State Border Guard Service,” while in another version, this inscription is absent. The court case number 506/739/25 on the website of the Judicial Authority of Ukraine also lists Artur Rudko as being held administratively responsible. The hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2025, in the Oknyansky District Court of the Odessa region.

The last club of the 33-year-old Rudko was Odessa’s “Chornomorets,” which he left after the end of the previous season. In an interview on August 30, he mentioned that the chances of continuing his playing career in Ukraine might be small, but there are offers from Israeli, Cypriot, and Azerbaijani clubs.

Legislative Updates

A bill has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada aimed at amending the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses and other legislative acts. The main goal of this document is to strengthen responsibility for offenses related to crossing the state border of Ukraine.