MOSCOW, February 27 Basketball players Tornike Shengelia and Iffe Lundberg left CSKA for family reasons and personal reasons related to the current situation between Russia and Ukraine, as well as its possible consequences, is reported on the website of the Moscow club. In the near future, the players of the army club Marius Grigonis and Johannes Vogtmann will also go home. CSKA stated that the actions of the players are a violation of the terms of the contract and club regulations, but the team is sympathetic to the personal situation of each of the basketball players. It is noted that the status of agreements with the players will be resolved when the political and sports situation in Europe normalizes. All other basketball players and coaches continue to prepare for the upcoming matches according to the usual schedule. On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had decided on a special military operation of the Russian Federation to demilitarize Ukraine. In a televised address to the Russians, he said that the circumstances «require decisive and immediate action from us, the people's republics of Donbass turned to Russia with a request for help.» On February 21, Putin signed decrees recognizing the sovereignty of the LPR and the DPR.
