How Ukrainians are uniting behind Shakhtar in London
Shakhtar Donetsk’s Champions League matches at Stamford Bridge are bringing Ukrainians in Britain together around a club displaced from its home for more than a decade. For supporters forced to leave Donetsk, watching their team in London offers a rare sense of connection, belonging and hope.
Fans Artem Genne and Dima Prasolov say attending matches is especially meaningful since Russia’s invasion made following the team regularly difficult. Shakhtar has played across Ukraine and Europe since 2014, and its chief executive hopes an average of 30,000 people will attend its four London fixtures. The club says the war continues to affect its teams, with its under-12s moved to a safer area of Kyiv and a women’s match disrupted by a nearby drone strike.
- Shakhtar’s London matches are bringing displaced Ukrainians together.
- Fans say supporting the team offers a sense of home.
- The club hopes for 30,000 supporters per Stamford Bridge match.
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Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian football club whose home city, Donetsk, has been under Russian-backed control since 2014. The club has since played its home matches in other parts of Ukraine and abroad, leaving many supporters separated from the place and routines they once associated with the team.
Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 has made life and travel more difficult for Ukrainians, including players and fans. Shakhtar’s matches in London give Ukrainians living in Britain a chance to meet and follow a team that remains closely tied to their country and displaced home city.