Ruslan Babenko

Ruslan Babenko is a Ukrainian central midfielder born in Dnipro on 8 July 1992. He developed at UFK Dnipropetrovsk before joining the Dnipro academy and signing his first professional contract in 2009. Babenko made his Ukrainian Premier League debut for Dnipro against Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih on 23 April 2011. In 2016, he moved abroad to Norway with Bodø/Glimt, then returned to Ukraine and continued his career with clubs including Zorya Luhansk, Chornomorets Odesa and Dnipro-1. He joined Polessya in July 2024, adding experience to the Zhytomyr club’s midfield. At 1.72 metres, Babenko has been described as a deep-lying or defensive midfielder who helps screen the defence and begin attacks from behind the ball. He also represented Ukraine at under-21 and other youth levels, earning 11 youth caps and scoring once.