Under the name WhiteRa, Aleksey Krupnyk from Odessa made herself known for her creative style of play in the strategy game Starcraft.
The term "special tactics" that he himself coined is now used by players around the world for unexpected and entertaining strategies.
He played at a professional level from and to for almost 20 years before putting the mouse on the shelf.
Today he lives in Berlin where he works with a streaming service - at the same time as he organizes on his own initiative collections of equipment for the Ukrainian army.
- It can be safety vests, helmets, medicines, clothes, he says to SVT News.
Stop for Russian teams
Several companies in e-sports and gaming have taken action since Russia began the invasion.
The tournament organizer ESL, which among other things owns the Swedish brand Dreamhack, has stopped two Russian teams from participating in the ESL Pro League.
However, players were allowed to participate as long as they did so under a neutral flag, without representing their club or country.
Removed from football games
EA Sports, which is behind, among other things, the football games Fifa, has promised to remove all Russian national teams and club teams from their games.
The Russian Counter-strike team Gambit Esports was at a tournament in Poland when the war broke out.
In a statement, they write that their players were put under "hard pressure" in connection with the tournament, and that they were threatened on social media.
"We have to support each other during these difficult times.
Keep politics away from e-sports and instead show mutual respect and support for each other. ”
they write.
Met by silence
Over the years, Aleksey Krupnyk has played against many Russians.
Several of them have become his friends, but lately they have only been silent.
- Its sad.
It is difficult to find the right word, he says.
Hear Aleksey "WhiteRa" Krupnyk tell in the clip.