Premier League champions FC Rubin Kazan have been surprisingly eliminated from the Russian Cup round of 32, losing 1-0 at second-tier club FC Volgar-Gazprom Astrakhan.

Kurban Berdyev selected an experimental lineup for the tie, fielding Jordi, Pyotr Bystrov, Vagiz Galiulin, Rafał Murawski, Aleksandr Ryazantsev and Fatikh Tekke alongside several members of his reserve squad. Chances were at a premium in Astrakhan, Kirill Maruschak scoring what proved to be the winner on the stroke of half-time.

Three other top-flight teams followed Rubin in exiting the competition – PFC Spartak Nalchik, PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara and FC Terek Grozny – while Rubin's fellow UEFA Champions League hopefuls FC Spartak Moskva and FC Zenit St. Petersburg progressed by beating FC Metallurg Lipetsk and FC Dynamo Saint Petersburg respectively.