Former Head of the Football Federation of Ukraine Andriy Pavelko Detained in Slovakia
In Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, Andriy Pavelko, former head of the Football Federation of Ukraine, was detained after a prolonged period evading Ukrainian justice. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko confirmed the detention.
According to Kravchenko, the arrest was the culmination of an international search and effective collaboration between Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and the relevant authorities in the Slovak Republic.
The investigation alleges that Pavelko orchestrated a scheme to embezzle nearly 295 million UAH from the Football Federation of Ukraine, utilising controlled commercial entities.
To facilitate this, fictitious contracts were reportedly drawn up for the supply of seafood, premium teas, coffee, and electrical equipment, which, according to the investigation, existed solely on paper.
This scheme resulted in the embezzlement of funds, causing losses of nearly 295 million UAH to the Football Federation of Ukraine and its regional branches, as stated by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Ruslan Kravchenko announced that the Office of the Prosecutor General has initiated extradition proceedings. A letter expressing the intent to request the detainee’s extradition and the application of temporary arrest has been dispatched to the competent authorities of the Slovak Republic.
"This detention is the result of professional cooperation between Ukrainian law enforcement officers and the competent authorities of the Slovak Republic, and the effective use of international legal cooperation mechanisms," the Prosecutor General stated.
He further emphasised that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies will persist in their efforts to repatriate individuals who have been long evading justice abroad.
It was reported that in December 2025, the Security Service of Ukraine announced a search for former UAF president Pavelko.
At that time, media outlets indicated that Andriy Pavelko, the former president of the Ukrainian Football Association, had left Ukrainian territory. Sources claimed that the 50-year-old former UAF head departed the country despite being subject to house arrest as a preventive measure.
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