Ruslan Kurdas is a former professional footballer who played for Dynamo Khmelnytskyi, Metalurh Zaporizhya, Tavriya Simferopil, FC Sumy and FC Peremoha. After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, he joined the ranks of the Armed Forces. On January 28, 2023, he died defending Ukraine near Bakhmut.
His career began in the Youth Academy at Metalurh Zaporizhya. He left to join the senior side at Dynamo Khmelnytskyi. He made his debut for the club on April 16, 2011 in an away match against “Rosa”, spending 60 minutes on the field. He was 17 years, 2 months and 3 days old when he made his debut. He spent two seasons at the club, during which time he played in 12 matches.
Still a young man, he then moved back to the youth team at Illivchivets Mariupol for 2012/13. He was struggling to make the grade as a professional and spent some time in the Zaporizhya Oblast league. In 2015, he played “Vektor” (Bohatyrivka), reaching the final of the regional cup and winning silver medals of the regional championship.
His performances merited a professional contract and he re-signed for his boyhood club Metalurh Zaporizhya in 2016. He became a regular for the side playing in the Second League. In 2017, he made a loan move to Tavriya Simferopil.
He spent the second half of the 2017-2018 season in “Krystal” from Chertkiv (Ternopil), which played in the amateur championship of Ukraine. Kurdas played for this club until the second half of the 2019-2020 season, playing 54 games in the regional and amateur championships of the country, scoring 19 goals. He was the captain of the team.
He combined his career as a footballer with teaching as he worked as a PE teacher at Chortkiv Gymnasium No. 3 named after Roman Ilyashenko.
In the second half of the 2019-2020 season, he joined Tavria-Skif, where he won the regional championship and took part in the Ukrainian amateur championship the following season. In the same season, he joined the direct competitor of “Tavria-Skyf” in the group in the amateur championship – “Peremoha” (Dnipro).
He spent almost the entire 2020-2021 season with Peremoha, but at the end of the season he joined Sumy, with whom he took part in the professional Second League for the 2021/22 season. In total he made 71 appearances at professional level, scoring one goal.
After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, he joined the ranks of the Armed Forces. On January 28, 2023, he died defending Ukraine near Bakhmut.
Article by Peter Chymera. Peter is a co-founder of Donetsk Way and the Viktor Leonenko Hall of Fame. Follow Peter on twitter – @PMChymera89
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