How Ukrainians are uniting behind Shakhtar in London

What the report says

Shakhtar Donetsk will play their four home Champions League league-phase matches at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge this season, and BBC Sport reports that the move has become a focal point for Ukrainians living in London and across the UK. The club has been without a permanent home for years, first because of conflict in Donetsk and then because of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The article highlights fans such as Artem Genne, now in the West Midlands, and Dima Prasolov, who lives in Kent, both of whom say the London fixtures offer a rare chance to feel connected to the club and to other Ukrainians. BBC Sport says tickets for recent Shakhtar games in England have sold out quickly, and the club expects strong support from the Ukrainian diaspora, including people travelling from within the UK.

Shakhtar chief executive Sergei Palkin said the club also wants to use the London matches to keep attention on conditions in Ukraine, where football and daily life have continued to be disrupted by the war. He noted that even youth and women’s teams have faced safety concerns. The club plans community activities in London, including work with Ukrainian children and schools.

Beyond football, the games are being framed as a gathering point for a dispersed community, with fans using the occasion to share culture, raise funds and show support for Ukraine. BBC Sport says the matches underline both the club’s long search for stability and the broader reality facing Ukrainians abroad.