RUSSIA’S supposedly hardest football ultra has been killed in the Ukraine war, earning him a hero’s send off from fans.
Several red flares were lit by supporters of CSKA Moscow fan Maxim Shmanin, 44, at his funeral in the region around Russia’s capital.
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The ultra hooligan had been a fighter in the Espanyola volunteer unit, part of the Vostok battalion of the pro-Putin Donetsk People’s Republic forces.
He was killed in the Donetsk region occupied by forces loyal to President Vladimir Putin.
He was seen off on his last journey by relatives and friends at a remarkable funeral “worthy of a valiant warrior”.
The Espanyola unit contains many football fan volunteers including hooligans, according to reports.
Amid the flares the CSKA Moscow flag was draped over the open coffin, while friends and family gathered around.
He was buried in the village of Konstantinovo, in the Ramenskoye district of the Moscow region.
His nickname or call sign of Platskart refers to the third class travel on cheap Russian trains, he used for away matches.
He was the first dead volunteer of the Espanyola group, according to reports.
There were no details of how he died in Vuhledar in the war unleashed by Putin.
Shmanin had previous military experience, having commanded a militia reconnaissance company in Horlivka, in 2014-2015, according to reports.
CSKA is a club long associated with the Russian army.
Russian ‘ultra-fanatical’ football fans, or ultras, are essentially the country’s violent hardcore yobs and hooligans, who are often spoiling for a fight.
They infamously threatened to “unleash hell” on England fans during the 2018 World Cup.
One plan was to lure England fans to Reutov, a small town near Moscow, as it was thought “they would be easier targets to pick out”.
In March of that year, a policeman died of a heart attack in Bilbao, northern Spain, as he was trying to stop street battles between supporters of Russian football team Spartak Moscow Spartak and Bilbao Athletic.
Nine people were arrested following the clashes. Spanish newspaper El Mundo said two Russian ultras were taken to hospital with injuries, one with stab wounds.
In May, video footage emerged of rival ultras staging a street battle in St Petersburg ahead of the game between Zenit St Petersburg and CSKA Moscow.
England supporters were specifically targeted by hammer and iron bar-wielding Russian hooligans ahead of the countries’ Euro 2016 opener in Marseille, which left two men in comas fighting for their lives.
But beyond match-side brawls is a far wider culture of street fighting and gang violence.
The gloating goons post sick videos of Ultra training camps in the middle of desolate Russian forests.
The various factions have a large presence on social media and post regularly on Twitter.
In 2014, riot police were brought in for a match between Shinnik Yroslavl and Spartak Moscow.
The match was suspended when Ultras lit flares and chucked seats onto the pitch.
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