The Vityaz hockey club from the Moscow region and the Khimki football club have both ceased operations due to financial difficulties, leading to their withdrawal from their respective leagues.

FC Khimki, established in 1996, progressed from a semi-professional team to a competitor in the country’s top league but was plagued by issues leading to its demise. The Russian Football Union revoked the club’s license on May 24, following the introduction of external management in April 2025 due to debts to football players. Pari NN from Nizhny Novgorod replaced Khimki in the 2025/26 season of the Russian Premier League.

Vityaz, founded in 1996 and having relocated several times before settling in Balashikha in 2022, faced a similar fate. On June 27, Vityaz was excluded from the league until 2030. Lada from Tolyatti, a team playing in the East, took Vityaz’s place in the Western Conference.

Andrei Vorobyov, the Governor of the Moscow region, indicated that Khimki’s issues would not be resolved with public funds. Contrastingly, a training base is under construction for PFC CSKA near Lake Krugloye using budget funds, and an ice palace is planned for the Khimik team from Voskresensk by 2028, also funded by the region.

In related news, the Moscow football club Torpedo was also excluded from the RPL, though for attempting to organize fixed matches, a different reason than the financial woes of Vityaz and Khimki.