Manchester United lead tributes to Kyiv Reds founder Oleksandr Kukin who was killed in Ukraine

Manchester United have led the tributes to Oleksandr Kukin who has been killed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

Kukin was one of the founding members of the Kyiv Reds supporters' club and on Monday the group confirmed that he had been killed when his car was shot at by opposition forces. The statement from the group read: "Two weeks ago, he (Kukin) tried to get his family out of the territory which Russian troops tried to seize but his car was shot by occupiers.

"His wife and daughter were operated on and are now in the hospital, he did not survive. When his family said goodbye to him, they put him in a Manchester United logo as they knew how much he loved our club."

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Commenting on his death, United said: "We send our heartfelt condolences for their (Kukin's wife and daughter's) loss and best wishes for their recovery, as they attempt to deal with these awful events.

"The club is exploring a number of ways in which it can offer its support to both Aleksander's family and the Kyiv Reds in due course." United, along with the rest of the Premier League, have shown their support for Ukraine during the conflict.

Before their fixture with Watford, Manchester United players stood behind a peace sign alongside their opposition. During the Manchester derby on the following Sunday, City and United players joined in a moment's applause for the Ukrainian people.

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