Shakhtar Donetsk: club to allocate $25m to support Ukrainian soldiers and their families

Shakhtar Donetsk will allocate $25m (€23m) to support Ukrainian soldiers and their families facing the Russian-led war in Ukraine since 24/02/2022, announced Rinat Akhmetov (UKR), president of the club, on 16/01/2023.

This announcement comes a day after the transfer of Shakhtar's attacking midfielder Mykhaylo Mudryk (UKR, born on 05/01/2001) to Chelsea FC (Premier League) was made official, for a fee of €70m, to which €30m in bonuses could be added.

"I have made a decision to launch the Heart of Azovstal (named after the Mariupol factory besieged by Russian forces in the summer of 2022), a project designed to help Mariupol (a Ukrainian city largely destroyed by the Russian invasion) defenders and the families of fallen soldiers. 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," explained Rinat Akhmetov.

"I…