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Shakhtar’s president, Rinat Akhmetov, has launched a scheme to help Ukrainian soldiers and their families in the war.
Shakhtar Donetsk have launched a scheme called 'Heart of Azovstal’, which is aimed at supporting Ukraine's war efforts. The scheme will be backed by a £20.5 million war chest following Mykhailo Mudryk's transfer to Chelsea.
Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar during this transfer window for a whopping £88.5 million fee. A record transfer for the Ukrainian team.
The club's president Rinat Akhmetov, off the back of the big transfer fee he recently received, has pledged £20.5 million in support of Ukrainian soldiers and their families.
Rinat Akhmetov's donation
The club's president spoke just days after Mudryk moved to Chelsea, where he launched his ‘Heart of Azovstal’ project, named after the Azovstal iron and steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, where Ukraine soldiers held out for 80 days against Russian assault.
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"I have made a decision to launch the Heart of Azovstal, a project designed to help Mariupol defenders and the families of fallen soldiers,” Akhmetov said per Sky News
"Their acts of bravery are unparalleled in the modern history. It is them, their sacrifice and courage that helped contain the enemy in the first months of the war and let all of us feel the inevitability of the victory of Ukraine now.
"I am allocating $25m (UAH 1 billion) today to help our soldiers, defenders, and their families.
"The money will be used to cover different needs - from providing medical and prosthetic treatment and psychological support to meeting specific requests.
“To ensure transparency, the project will have a professional independent team that will be in touch with the Azovstal defenders, their families, care providers, and volunteers.
He went ahead to comment on his mixed feelings about Mudryk's transfer, as he would have hoped his club would challenge for European trophies with players like Mudryk, but admits the war makes it impossible.
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"Today we are able to talk about Ukrainian football thanks to the Ukrainian army, the Ukrainian people, and the tremendous support of the entire civilised world,” Akhmetov said in his speech, per the BBC.
"I have never made it a secret that my dream is to win European trophies.
"This means that players like Mudryk should be invited to our club, to our Ukrainian championship, and we should win European trophies with such players.
"Unfortunately, it is impossible now, as Ukraine is fighting the horrendous and unjust war waged against us by the Russian Federation."
How the war affects Shakhtar Donetsk
Shakhtar Donetsk put up an impressive showing in this season's Champions League, which contributed to the allure of Mykhailo Mudryk.
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However, the club originally based in the Donbas region of Ukraine have not played in their home ground, Donbas Arena since 2014, due to Russia's invasion of Eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian giants have had to set up shop in the nation's capital, Kiev, and were reported to have faced many difficulties in commuting for their Champions League games.
Shakhtar's home games in the Champions League this season were played in Legia Warsaw's Stadion Wojska Polskiego, as the war made it impossible for them to host European games, even in Kiev.
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