Russia and Dynamo Moscow striker Fedor Smolov has expressed his opposition to the country's invasion of Ukraine by writing 'no war' on Instagram.
Vladimir Putin sent shockwaves rippling through Europe on Thursday morning when he ordered Russian troops to launch an all-out war on Ukraine, which swiftly resulted in tanks rolling across the border, helicopters swarming the skies and missiles raining down on their neighbour country.
Cruise missiles, guided bombs and GRAD rockets took out targets from east to west, with airfields, military bases, ammo dumps, and command posts - including in the capital - all coming under fire.
The death toll so far is still unclear, as one Ukrainian official said 'hundreds' had been killed in the early clashes, while another estimated a figure of 40.
Nevertheless, Russia's actions in Ukraine risk sparking the bloodiest conflict Europe has seen since the Second World War.
Manchester City and Ukraine star Oleksandr Zinchenko was the first high-profile footballer to speak out on the invasion. In a now-deleted Instagram story, Zinchenko posted a photo of Putin and wrote: 'I hope you die the most painful suffering death, creature'.
Now Smolov has become the first Russian player to comment on the situation, taking to Instagram himself to condemn his country's move on Thursday.
The striker, who has earned 45 caps for Russia in his career, posted a black square and wrote the caption: 'No war' along with a broken-heart emoji and the Ukraine flag.
Russia's decision to attack Ukraine has rocked Europe to its core, and UEFA are now set to moved this year's Champions League final from St Petersburg in the wake of Thursday's invasion.
European football's governing body are expected to make the call after arranging an emergency meeting for Friday, with three London venues - Wembley Stadium, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and West Ham's London Stadium - amongst the alternatives.
A UEFA statement read: 'Following the evolution of the situation between Russia and Ukraine in the last 24 hours, the UEFA President has decided to call an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee for Friday 25 February at 10:00 CET, in order to evaluate the situation and take all necessary decisions.'
UEFA is also facing increased calls to drop their £33million-a-year sponsorship deal with the majority state-owned Russian energy provider Gazprom, who sponsor the Nations League and European Championship.
All members of their executive committee have been invited to the meeting, including Zenit St Petersburg president and Gazprom chief executive Alexander Dyukov.