The Ukrainian national soccer player Roman Yaremchuk has followed his goal for Benfica Lisbon in the round of 16 of the Champions League with a message to his home country.
After equalizing in the final 2-2 draw against Ajax Amsterdam, the striker removed his jersey and wore a black t-shirt with the coat of arms of Ukraine amid the escalation in the conflict with Russia.
“I wanted to support my country. I’ve thought about it a lot and I’m scared of the situation,” said the 26-year-old after Wednesday’s game on “CNN Portugal”: “The club supports me, they spoke to me and wanted to do anything to help me.”
After weeks of threats, Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine on Thursday morning. According to the AFP news agency, explosions were heard in the capital Kiev, in the southern port city of Odessa and in other cities in eastern Ukraine. Apparently, Russian troops also attacked from Belarus.