Thirteen players from Ukraine‘s national team produced a video on Thursday ahead of their appearance at Euro 2024, presenting images of wartime destruction and hardship in their home towns 27 months into Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Our home cities would love to host Euro. Right now, they are fighting not for a tournament, but for their freedom,” is the message flashed across the screen during the 90-second video released on the Telegram messaging app.
The video shows homes reduced to rubble, buildings set ablaze or blackened from air strikes and emergency crews gingerly picking their way through piles of debris.
“My name is Mykola Shaparenko and I’m from Velyka Novosilka, which has been completely destroyed by the Russians,” said the Dynamo Kyiv player, referring to his home town virtually on part of the 1,000-km frontline through eastern and southern…
