Fake Ukrainian Clubs Compete in Russia’s Professional Football Leagues Amid UEFA Inaction

Since March 2026, two counterfeit clubs—“Shakhtar Donetsk” and “Zorya Luhansk”—have been fielded in Russia’s fourth-tier Football National League 2B. Both clubs list Ukrainian addresses but play home matches in Russian towns (Taganrog and Kamensk-Shakhtinsky). Their participation means roughly one-quarter of the 12-team division claims representation of territories occupied by Russia. The fake Shakhtar currently tops the table with seven wins from nine games and is set for promotion to the third tier.

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The Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) has long protested the incorporation of Crimean clubs (Rubin Yalta, FC Sevastopol) into the Russian system. Three years ago UEFA announced it was “assessing the situation” after the UAF demanded the Russian Football Union (RFU) be suspended. The current wave of clubs from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions extends that earlier controversy, yet UEFA has not issued a fresh assessment.

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• Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) – governing body of Ukrainian football, author of the October 2025 letter to UEFA.

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• UEFA – Europe’s football governing federation, holder of the decision-making authority on club licensing and jurisdiction.

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• Russian Football Union (RFU) – national association that maintains the clubs’ licences and argues that League 2B is amateur.

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• Igor Petrov – self-identified president of the counterfeit Shakhtar club.

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• Theodore Theodoridis – UEFA general secretary, recipient of the UAF’s formal complaint.

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• Four of the twelve clubs in Group 1 of League 2B (33 %) are based in or claim affiliation with occupied Ukrainian regions.

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• The fake Shakhtar leads the division with a 7-2 record, securing promotion to the third tier.

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• The clubs were granted licences and “parachuted” directly into League 2B without earning promotion through on-field merit.

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• Rubin Yalta and FC Sevastopol have been part of the Russian pyramid for three years, playing home matches in occupied Crimea.

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The UAF’s October 2025 letter to UEFA’s general secretary demanded an investigation into the clubs’ legal status and warned that their participation “is a direct violation of the territorial jurisdiction of the UAF.” UEFA declined to comment when approached by reporters. The RFU maintains that League 2B is an amateur competition outside its direct oversight, a claim challenged by evidence on the clubs’ websites describing the league as “professional.”

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The UAF characterises the clubs’ inclusion as a “coordinated political attempt to legitimise the occupation and erase the identity of Ukrainian football.” It argues that the move seeks to normalize Russian control over Ukrainian sport and undermine the sovereignty of the Ukrainian football system.

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The counterfeit Shakhtar lists a Donetsk address while operating out of Taganrog, and its website celebrates the real club’s 90th anniversary. Zorya’s team trains in Luhansk but registers matches in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky. Both clubs display branding that mirrors the historic Ukrainian sides, creating confusion among fans and officials.

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UEFA has not publicly clarified whether its earlier “assessment” of Crimean clubs extends to the newer entrants from Donetsk and Luhansk. The RFU’s claim that League 2B is amateur conflicts with the clubs’ own description of the competition as professional. No official response from UEFA leaves the legal status of the clubs unresolved.

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• “investigate the status and activities of the aforementioned clubs, provide an official explanation of their legal position, and inform the UAF of the results of the review” — Ukrainian Association of Football, letter to UEFA

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• “The fact of the participation of a club registered in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in competitions organised by the national association of another state without the consent of the UAF is a direct violation of the territorial jurisdiction of the UAF.” — UAF, letter to Theodore Theodoridis

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• “coordinated political attempt to legitimise the occupation and erase the identity of Ukrainian football” — UAF, letter to UEFA

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• “the elite of Russian football” — Igor Petrov, club president (fake Shakhtar)

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• “There is no suggestion that any assessment has extended to the creep of other teams from occupied areas into Russia’s professional setup.” — The Guardian

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The UAF has indicated it will pursue further diplomatic channels if UEFA remains silent. UEFA’s forthcoming congress in early 2027 may address the issue, while the RFU is expected to defend the licences of the clubs pending any formal sanction. The outcome will shape the governance of football in contested territories across Europe.

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