Shakhtar Donetsk Owner Pledges £22m to Ukraine War Effort After Chelsea Transfer

Ahmetov thanks world for supporting Ukraine and pledges part of Mudryk sale proceeds to Chelsea to help victims of Russia’s war.

Shakhtar Donetsk president, tycoon Rinat Akhmetov has pledged to donate £22m to the Ukrainian war effort following the transfer of Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea, the BBC has reported.

The Premier League side signed Mudryk from Shakhtar on Sunday,  in a deal worth up to £89m, a transfer record for Ukrainian football.

According to the BBC, “Akhmetov said the money would help a project named 'Heart of Azovstal,' aimed at "helping Mariupol defenders and the families of fallen soldiers".

"I want to thank the entire civilized world for helping Ukraine," Akhmetov added, “in the horrendous and unjust war waged against us by the Russian Federation."

He said money from Mudryk's transfer fee would go towards providing medical and prosthetic treatment, psychological support and meeting specific requests in order to help Mariupol defenders and the families of fallen soldiers.

 Read the full BBC report here.