A former player of the Ukrainian national team missed his mother's funeral due to fear of mobilization.

The Polish volleyball player from "Warta," former Ukrainian national team player Yuriy Gladyr, did not attend his mother's funeral. The athlete explained that he might not have been allowed to leave Ukraine due to the ongoing state of martial law.

Gladyr's comments were reported by sport.tvp. He believes that he would not have been able to leave Ukraine if he had traveled there.

— Many people do not know this, but my mother passed away four weeks ago. I learned about it while we were in Milan. She was a healthy woman. The day after Valentine's Day, she would have turned 70. Her heart failed her in her sleep. For me and my brother, who lives in the Czech Republic, it is especially painful that we could not attend her funeral. If we had gone, we would not have been able to leave Ukraine.

— Is the threat of sudden conscription to the front in Ukraine really that real?

— What is happening in Ukraine right now is horrifying. And I am not even talking about the war itself. You won’t see it on TV or hear about it. My brother and I would not have left there… I don’t want to say anything more about it because it is too complicated for me politically, — said Gladyr.

It is worth noting that Gladyr has been playing in Poland since 2008 and holds a Polish passport. Apparently, the volleyball player has not officially renounced his Ukrainian citizenship.

Recall that the coaching staff of the Ukrainian men's volleyball team, led by Raúl Lozano, announced the expanded roster for the 2025 season. By the way, the Argentine specialist took charge of the Blue and Yellow team in April 2024.