Ukraine gamers remind world of battle forward of Euro 2024

13 gamers from Ukraine’s nationwide staff produced a video on Thursday forward of their look at Euro 2024, presenting photographs of wartime destruction and hardship of their house cities 27 months into Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“Our house cities would like to host Euro. Proper now, they’re preventing not for a event, however for his or her freedom,” is the message flashed throughout the display throughout the 90-second video launched on the Telegram messaging app.

The video reveals properties decreased to rubble, buildings set ablaze or blackened from air strikes and emergency crews gingerly choosing their method via piles of particles.

“My identify is Mykola Shaparenko and I am from Velyka Novosilka, which has been fully destroyed by the Russians,” stated the Dynamo Kyiv participant, referring to his house city just about on a part of the 1,000-km frontline via japanese and southern Ukraine.

Maksym Talovierov and Anatoliy Trubin introduce themselves as natives of Donetsk, a metropolis in japanese Ukraine held by Russian forces or their native proxies since 2014, when separatists seized massive elements of the east.

“Presently, Makiivka, Saky and Donetsk are briefly occupied,” Trubin says, referring to the house cities of 4 gamers.

“Our cities would like to host the EUROs, however they’re preventing for freedom!”

13 gamers from the Ukraine NT deal with the world earlier than EUROs. Their hometowns have been affected by Russian aggression – they’re both broken or briefly occupied. pic.twitter.com/TjhsR6h7OS

— Ukrainian Affiliation of Soccer (@uafukraine) June 13, 2024

Oleksandr Zinchenko introduces himself as a participant for London’s Arsenal and identifies his house city as Radomyshl, west of the capital Kyiv, in opposition to a background of explosions and buildings set on hearth.

Zinchenko was within the Ukraine staff that reached the Euro quarterfinals three years in the past. That was the final European summer season earlier than the Russians attacked.

This event is “100%” totally different and particular, Zinchenko advised reporters forward of the event.

“There may be nonetheless folks dying for no cause and we now have to stay collectively,” he stated, stressing that what the gamers have lived via doesn’t evaluate to fighters on the entrance traces and their households.

“For them it’s tremendous tough, for us it is clearly further motivation. Everyone knows who’s behind us. We have to present our greatest efficiency.”

A number of Ukrainian cities, together with Donetsk, co-hosted Euro 2012 alongside neighbouring Poland.

The Ukrainian staff opens its Euro 2024 marketing campaign in opposition to Romania, one other western neighbour, on Monday.

However the battle is a topic the Ukraine staff desires to deal with, and hopes Euro 2024 watched worldwide will assist placed on heart stage.

“We have to speak about this,” coach Serhiy Rebrov stated. “I do know that some individuals are drained concerning the information of the battle however we’re persevering with to combat and we want your help.”

“It is essential that Ukraine is represented within the Euro as a result of we, all Ukrainians, we need to be in [the] European household,” stated the previous nationwide staff star who additionally performed in England and Russia, and coached in Hungary. “On the battle we’re preventing for all Europe.”

Data from Reuters and The Related Press contributed to this report.