The Charleston Battery are pleased to announce the signing of Russian defensive midfielder Kirill Pakhomov (“Pah-oh-mov”) to the 2026 roster on Friday, pending league and federation approval. Pakhomov signs his first professional contract after impressing as a trialist during the 2026 preseason.
“I’m looking forward to transferring the qualities I have to the professional level in order to help the team win games and trophies,” said Pakhomov. “The coaches have created a great environment and push every player to improve each day. All of the guys give 100% in training, so it’s a very interesting, demanding and competitive environment, I really like it.”
Pakhomov, 24, initially arrived in the Lowcountry as a trialist following a standout collegiate career at Marshall University and Oklahoma Wesleyan University. The imposing 6-4 midfielder started all 20 matches for the No. 12-ranked Thundering Herd in 2025, scoring one goal, and helped lead Marshall to the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
During Pakhomov’s two years at Oklahoma Wesleyan, he was a two-time NAIA First Team All-America selection. Pakhomov was additionally named the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) MVP in 2024 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, and was a two-time First Team All-KCAC selection.
Resume in tow, Pakhomov is ready to begin his professional career in the Lowcountry, and Head Coach Ben Pirmann sees Pakhomov’s experience helping him transition to the Championship.
“Kirill is physically imposing with his strength and size, but he is even more impactful with his awareness and understanding of what needs to be done,” said Coach Pirmann. “Kirill fits a specific need in our team and has the opportunity to not only be an impact player for our club and this community, but also a potential standout player in this league.
“He has a solid rhythm in the build-up phase and strong recognition of positioning in the counter-press. His style of play at Marshall fits our strategy to be a ball-playing, deep-lying midfielder who can control tempo and break lines to find the killer pass.
“With some late personnel changes, we had to adjust our recruitment strategy to bring in a disciplined defensive midfielder who can impact our team immediately. Our staff, led by Ian Cameron and Rob Seaton, did a great job of identifying Kirill in this process and worked well to get him into our preseason training environment. His technical execution will need to be consistent, but we anticipate him having a smooth transition to the league.”
Pakhomov developed in the Serbian and Russian leagues prior to his move Stateside. He played for the Belgrade-based sides FK Rad U-19 and OFK Žarkovo in Serbia before competing with Russian third-tier clubs FC Dynamo Bryansk and FC Rodina-2 Moscow. Between college seasons, Pakhomov also played for FC Bartlesville Buffaloes and Jacksonville Armada U-23.
A native of Kursk, Russia, Pakhomov speaks Russian, Serbian, English and Spanish.
Pakhomov is already eagerly awaiting the home opener on March 7.
“I’m very excited about the season and can’t wait to make my debut on March 7 against Pittsburgh in front of our fans at Patriots Point,” said Pakhomov. “My outlook this year is to become an important part of the team, win every game and compete for all the trophies.”
2026 Roster
- Goalkeepers: Daniel Kuzemka, Luis Zamudio
- Defenders: Joey Akpunonu, Langston Blackstock, Nathan Messer, Graham Smith, Sean Suber
- Midfielders: Chris Allan, Wilmer Cabrera Jr., Jeremy Kelly, Laurent Kissiedou, Houssou Landry, Kirill Pakhomov, Emilio Ycaza
- Forwards: Miguel Berry, Maalique Foster, Douglas Martínez, Colton Swan