Ovechkin again backs Russia's ruling party in pre-election campaign video

Washington Capitals captain and NHL all-time goal-scoring leader Alexander Ovechkin has taken part in a campaign video for Russia's ruling United Russia party ahead of upcoming State Duma elections. The hockey player appeared in a video dedicated to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who tops the party's federal candidate list.

The party has released several campaign videos featuring its federal list candidates alongside well-known supporters. This is not the first time Ovechkin has publicly backed Russia's political leadership — in 2017 he founded the "Putin Team" movement, which was praised by the Kremlin at the time.

Other athletes in the campaign

Chess player Sergey Karjakin and former MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko also joined the campaign, appearing alongside candidate Vladislav Golovin, head of the militarized youth organization Yunarmiya. Karjakin, born in Simferopol, represented Ukraine until 2009 before switching to compete for Russia, and publicly backed Moscow's actions after the full-scale invasion — in 2022 the International Chess Federation (FIDE) suspended him for six months over statements it said damaged chess and the federation's reputation. Emelianenko was previously elected to the Belgorod regional council as a United Russia representative.

The video also features former hockey player Vyacheslav Fetisov, who expressed support for children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, who is included in the party's top five candidates. In 2023 the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for her, citing reasonable grounds to believe she bears individual responsibility for the war crime of unlawfully deporting and transferring Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia.

The top five of United Russia's federal candidate list includes Lavrov, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, war correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny, Lvova-Belova and Golovin.