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Ukraine is claiming that Russia is firing ballistic and Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles into cities - with some reports indicating that Russian forces are firing missiles from inside Belarusian territory. There were earlier reports of strikes in the Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Vinnutsia, Zhytomyr and Cherkasy regions, as well as claims that a blood transfusion centre had been struck near Kharkiv. There are further reports that strikes are beginning on the coastal region of Odesa and in parts of southern Ukraine.
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It was about solidarity with those enduring so much in a relentless war.Ī heavy night of Russian strikes is continuing in Ukraine, with reports of sirens and attacks still coming in.Īnother air alarm has sounded in the region of Zaporizhzhia, with governor Yuriy Malashko calling on citizens to head to air raid shelters. Wrapping it all up were the Pretenders with their perfectly picked classic, I’ll Stand by You.īut the event was about much more than football. They were treated to performances by the likes of Tom Walker, Pete Doherty and Ukraine’s Boombox, whose lead singer has been fighting on the frontline. More than 32,000 people attended the fundraiser. “I can't really believe the players played for my school just to rebuild it." Her friend was in the school’s basement when the bombs fell. Zinchenko and captain of the Blues, former Chelsea star Andriy Shevchenko, recently returned to Ukraine to see the damage to the Mykhailo-Kotsiubynsky Lyceum for themselves.Īmong the young mascots who accompanied the players onto the pitch for the Game4Ukraine was Tanya Bosko, an 11-year-old with plaits who’d flown over for the match. The teams were Blue and Yellow - like the colours of Ukraine’s flag. “We're here to be part of something special and the most important thing is to raise funds for the rebuilding of one of the schools in Ukraine.” “The job which people did behind the scenes was incredible and I'm so happy to see them all,” said the Ukrainian international. This was about raising money to rebuild their school in Chernihiv, all but destroyed by Russian missiles at the start of the war.Ĭaptaining one of the teams was Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, who said the gathering of such big names sent “a powerful message to the rest of the world that we stick together". The line-up had been billed as a Panini sticker album brought to life… so many football legends on a pitch at the same time.īut there was good reason the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Jack Wilshere and Petr Cech were prepared to lace up their boots and walk out at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge hand-in-hand with Ukrainian school children.
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