The STB channel announced the name of the hero of the fifteenth season of the popular show “The Bachelor” — it is Ukrainian basketball player Vyacheslav Kravtsov. However, in the presentation of the new season, the organizers did not mention the athlete’s previous contract with the Moscow club CSKA, which was signed amid the war between Russia and Ukraine.
This is reported by Finway
Criticism of the silence regarding the Russian period
Blogger Natella Kirs pointed out on the social network Threads that the STB promo videos emphasize Kravtsov’s experience in the NBA, but do not mention his play for the Russian club. The blogger was outraged by the omission of this fact:
“Interestingly, they mentioned the NBA in the promo, but the contract with the Moscow club was somewhat overlooked. That’s not cool,” the blogger noted.
This fact sparked a wave of discussions online, as the issue of moral responsibility for athletes during the war remains extremely sensitive for Ukrainian society.
Kravtsov’s career at Moscow CSKA
According to open sources, Vyacheslav Kravtsov joined the Moscow CSKA team at the end of September 2015. This was during the active phase of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. The Russian club faced personnel problems due to injuries to key players, so Kravtsov signed a short-term contract for three months. In December 2015, the contract expired, and the Ukrainian left CSKA without extending his cooperation with the club.
Kravtsov is currently 38 years old. Three years ago, he divorced his wife — Ukrainian model Elina Rudenko. He played for the national team of Ukraine for almost two decades, becoming the absolute leader in the number of matches played (86) and points scored (630).
The discussion surrounding his participation in the Russian club and the reaction of society demonstrate how important the issue of cooperation with the aggressor country remains for Ukrainians, even in the sports field.