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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Former head of the FFU and UAF Pavelko is held in a detention facility in Bratislava and awaits extradition to Ukraine.
Former president of the Ukrainian Association of Football Andriy Pavelko is in custody in Bratislava and awaits the completion of the extradition process to Ukraine.
According to journalist Volodymyr Zviery, handing over the former head of the UAF to Ukrainian law enforcement authorities could happen in the coming weeks.
Zviery explained the situation, commenting on the further development of Pavelko’s case. Earlier, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said that the former head of the UAF is a suspect in a probe into possible embezzlement of about 300 million UAH of the association’s funds.
According to the journalist, after Pavelko was declared internationally wanted, his data were entered into a system with a so-called “red notice.” This status became the basis for further procedures after his detention in Bratislava.
“When he was detained in Bratislava, they saw this international designation. And this international designation means the extradition procedure to the homeland and to the country where he was charged,” Zviery said on his YouTube channel.
According to him, Pavelko is currently in a pre-trial detention facility and awaits resolution of procedural issues related to his transfer to Ukraine.
“This extradition procedure takes not months, as it sometimes happens, but weeks. Somewhere within four to five weeks this matter could be resolved,” the journalist noted.
Zviery also reported that the transfer of a Ukrainian citizen within such a procedure is usually carried out by law enforcement authorities of two states at the state border. In his assessment, extradition could occur as early as August.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs included the former official in the register of persons evading pre-trial investigation. The register notes that he is sought for evading inquiry, with the date of his disappearance listed as 5 November 2025 year. Now the procedure can be started also through international mechanisms.
The investigation accuses Pavelko of crimes under part 5 of article 191 and part 1 of article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. It concerns misappropriation and embezzlement of property on a particularly large scale or by an organized group, as well as official forgery.
These charges are related to a case about constructing a plant for producing artificial football turf in Kropyvnytskyi, after which he left the post as head of the FFU.
In October, the National Police issued him an official notice of suspicion. Previously, the official was held in detention in a case of financial manipulation: an audit found losses of 1,7 billion UAH, after which the protective measure was changed to house arrest.
Journalist Kostyantyn Andriuk on March 2025 year reported that Pavelko left Ukraine in December 2024 year and has not returned since. According to him, the reason for crossing the border was documents on disability.
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