Former Chelsea and Ukraine footballer Andriy Shevchenko will take a number of child refugees into his own London home and is also helping to bring 150 people to the UK.
Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes in Ukraine following Vladimir Putin’s Russian invasion last month as fighting continues to engulf cities and destroy homes.
More than 2.8 million people have been forced to cross into Poland and other neighbouring countries in what the UN has called Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War.
It has led to the UK government launching the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme which will involve people hosting refugees. It’s hoped it could enable tens of thousands of people fleeing the war in Ukraine to come to the UK.
As of Tuesday morning, almost 89,000 people have registered an interest in opening up their homes to a Ukrainian refugee.
Shevchenko, who played for Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan and Chelsea in his illustrious career as Ukraine’s best footballer, has now opened the doors to his own home for some child refugees and announced his intention to find shelter for 150 others.
Andriy Shevchenko has offered to take a number of child refugees from Ukraine into his home
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced millions of people to flee to safety across Europe
More than 2.8 million people have had to cross into neighbouring countries, including Belgium
Shevchenko, who recently spent two months as manager of Genoa in Serie A after five years in charge of the Ukraine national team, also thanked British people ‘from the bottom of my heart’ for ‘staying close to us’ and supporting the Ukraine.
The 45-year-old told ITV: ‘The war is very cruel and it’s hard to see the cities being destroyed, the people dying.
‘I’m a father of four kids and for me to see images of kids dying, the bombs going at a kid’s hospital, I can’t stand that. I don’t think any person in the world can stand for that.
‘I try to support my country, I try to raise attention, I tried to speak about exactly what’s going on, I try to touch the heart of the people and then to understand the circumstances.
‘Of course I try to raise humanitarian aid and help my country, my people, refugees.
‘I was waiting for the rules of the government and now it’s quite clear… I was working with ambassador of Ukraine here and then I have a couple of friends who want to help and we’re going to take 150 refugees here and put them in different areas and take a couple of children also in my house.
‘I don’t think there is a place in Ukraine where you feel safe now. I can’t believe this, sometimes it’s like a bad dream.
‘I just wake up and say to myself “it’s going to come back to normal situation” but I know it’ll never happen.
‘I know we have to deal with this situation, and we have to find a way to bring the peace in my country.’
Shevchenko is Ukraine’s greatest-ever footballer and played for Chelsea among other clubs
Shevchenko, who scored 22 goals in 77 appearances for Chelsea, was speaking for the first time since the club’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government.
Abramovich was among seven Russian billionaires added to the British sanctions list as part of efforts to isolate Putin over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It saw Chelsea put under a special licence designed to prevent them – and by extension Abramovich – from generating any new revenue, including from ticket sales.
As it stands Chelsea cannot sell tickets and only season ticket holders are allowed to attend matches, or those who purchased tickets before the sanctions were placed on Abramovich on March 10.
He added: ‘It’s a very difficult moment for me, in the moment I don’t think about football.
‘My head, my whole attention is to help my country but I know the situation and it’s a very hard moment for the Chelsea fans, for the club.
‘I think you can’t cancel the history of Chelsea. The fans have to just be strong and support the club.’
Earlier this month, Shevchenko made an emotional appearance on Italian television as he opened up on his fear for the safety of his relatives who are still in Ukraine.
‘My mum, my sister and other relatives of mine are still in Ukraine, I speak to them every day. It was their choice to stay,’ he explained in an appearance on ‘Che Tempo Che Fa’ on Italian broadcaster RAI.
Shevchenko was speaking for the first time since Roman Abramovich, the owner of former club Chelsea, was sanctioned by the UK government
Shevchenko lives in London with his American model wife Kristen Pazik and their four sons Jordan, Kristian, Alexander and Rider Gabriel
‘I can’t look at what’s happening to my country without crying. They tell me the truth of what’s happening in Ukraine, bombed cities, children and old people killed.
‘We need to try and convince Russia to cease fire, find a diplomatic solution and stop this war.’
Shevchenko, who lives in London with his wife and children, also made a direct appeal to the people of Italy to help welcome Ukrainians feeling the country after Russia’s invasion.
‘When I arrived in Italy, the country opened its heart to me. You made me feel like one of you, and I feel like it’s my second home,’ he said.
‘Now I ask you: open your hearts to my people, we need your help… make them feel like you made me feel. There is already a lot of affection from everyone, I know, but I ask for more.’
Shevchenko paid tribute to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, saying: ‘Ukraine wants to be part of Europe, it was our decision as a people.
‘Zelensky is a great president who guides us for our independence and our freedom.’
Russian forces may only be able to sustain full fighting capacity for another ‘ten to 14’ days, senior UK defence sources indicated on Monday night, after which Putin’s men will struggle to hold the ground they have already captured from Ukrainian troops.
UK defence sources say that Kyiv has Moscow ‘on the run’ and the Russian army could be just two weeks from ‘culmination point’ – after which ‘the strength of Ukraine’s resistance should become greater than Russia’s attacking force.’
Advances across Ukraine have already stopped as Moscow’s manpower runs short.
Russian forces may only be able to sustain full fighting capacity for another ‘ten to 14’ days, senior UK defence sources have indicated
President Zelensky echoed that optimism in an early-morning address to the Ukrainian people, saying his military continues to inflict ‘devastating losses on Russian troops.’
‘Soon the number of downed helicopters of Russia will reach hundreds of units. They have already lost 80 warplanes. Hundreds of tanks and thousands of other units of equipment. In 19 days, the Russian army has lost more in Ukraine than in two bloody and years-long wars in Chechnya,’ he added.
But, as Russia’s invasion falters, its methods become more brutal – with cities increasingly coming under indiscriminate rocket fire. Kyiv, the capital, suffered another round of bombing on Tuesday morning as apartment blocks were set on fire by early-hours strikes, though there was no immediate figure on casualties.
Ukraine’s military said four Russian helicopters, a jet, and a cruise missile were shot down by its forces which remained in control of all major cities – including the badly-hit southern port of Mariupol.
Putin’s stuttering invasion has forced even his close allies to admit, publicly, that things are not going to plan.
Russian National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov – once in charge of Putin’s personal security – admitted Tuesday that ‘not everything is going as fast as we would like’. But he still insisted Russia would achieve victory ‘step by step’.
The Kremlin also said it may still opt to take control of large cities in Ukraine, despite false claims the purpose of its ‘special military operation’ is to ‘liberate’ the country.
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