Ukraine war

UKRAINE’S visit to Wembley tomorrow is about far more than just their bid to reach Euro 2024.For the thousands of Ukranians living in the UK, it is a chance to get a small feeling of home and remind the world of the terrors being inflicted on those under invasion from Russia.
England will take on Ukraine on Sunday
At least 4,000 Ukraine fans are expected to be in attendance
Ruslan Rotan wants to offer fans a shot of hope
More than 3,000 tickets have been sold in the away end while The FA have donated a further 1,000 to refugees.
Manager Ruslan Rotan wants his side to offer a shot of hope for those in the stands with family suffering back home, and those watching from afar.
Soldiers on the front line tuned in to watch their World Cup play-off victory over Scotland last year, and it makes a difference – however small.
Stefan Luczka, a British-Ukrainian who is the chairman of the UK Ukrainian Sports Supporters Club, lives in Luton but has an uncle battling on the front line.
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He told SunSport: “Any sort of morale boost will help.
“Everything at the moment in terms of Ukraine is negative, in terms of being pummelled and bombarded with missiles.
“Any sort of positivity or morale boost, not just for the guys on the front line it’s just a massive uplift. Any bit of positivity, winning or positive result.
“Sport brings people together, 90 minutes to stop thinking about, ‘When I wake up in the morning, will I still have a house? Will a missile fall on my head or will I need to go and fight because Russia are coming closer and closer?'”
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Luczka also hopes that occasions such as tomorrow, as well as any successful qualification for a major tournament, will offer a huge boost to those seeking support as coverage abroad naturally ebbs away over time.
He said: “It would be absolutely phenomenal if we could qualify.
“It is always a massive positive to make a major tournament, but added to that the extra meaning of it because of the war, it would be a massive boost of positivity to Ukrainians around the world.
“It highlights to the rest of the world that Ukrainians are fighting, metaphorically, on the pitch as they are on the front line.”
For a community having to watch their country suffer from afar, Sunday is about far more than just three points towards qualification, however.
Luczka said: “The UK has been phenomenal in its support. That’s why on Sunday I’m not really bothered about the football.
“It’s about Ukrainians getting together and even showing appreciation. If we can get even a message of thanks, for your support.”
There is also ongoing support from the footballing family in England too.
Today, the England Fans team will play a team of Ukrainian supporters in the ‘John Motson Memorial Cup’, raising funds and collecting donations to support those in need in Ukraine.
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A similar fundraising fixture was arranged last March, a month after the invasion, which saw England fans raise enough to drive two ambulances to Ukraine, both packed with humanitarian aid essentials, a trip supporters are hoping to repeat ahead of the return fixture in September.
Luczka added: “It is football fans acting in the right spirit, it is what football should be.” More

A FORMER football star has joined an army unit of Russian hooligans on the frontline in Ukraine.It comes as the battalion – led by an ultra dubbed The Spaniard – steps up recruitment in a desperate bid to boost ranks as Russian invaders continue to meet stiff Ukrainian resistance.
Russia is stepping up recruitment of football hooligans to join the battalionCredit: East2West
Former Russian international footballer Andrey Solomatin, right, has been recruitedCredit: East2West
The unit is led by Stanislav Orlov, dubbed The SpaniardCredit: East2West
The brigade, named Espanola, is filled with thugs from the terraces and has now been given special status among armed forces backing Vladimir Putin.
Hooligans were recruited too, but now the unit is classed as a separate private military company, with the go-ahead to expand recruitment.
The ultras are urged: “Get into the coolest adventures of your life with a real chance to come back alive from these scrapes.”
They are promised a “decent reward” for turning their violent instincts on Ukraine.
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Former Russian international footballer Andrey Solomatin, 47, has signed up.
He played for Moscow clubs CSKA and Lokomotiv.
Stanislav Orlov, commander of Española private military company, said: “We were volunteers, then part of the DPR [Donetsk People’s Republic] forces.
“Recently we managed to get separate status. So now we do not belong to any battalions or divisions.”
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Orlov, whose call sign is “Spaniard”, said they had been given approval to create a separate battalion, Espanola.
The hooligans’ battalion is 550 strong, including 100 operators of kamikaze drones used to attack Ukraine, he said.
The fighters say they are being equipped by football supporters from across Russia.
Orlov said: “There are a huge number of them.
“All over Russia, in fact – in different cities there are different football teams.
“We tell them what we need [and they provide it].”
Five years ago, Putin’s regime desperately tried to crackdown on Russian hooligans and ultras – using an FSB crackdown to stop them ruining the FIFA World Cup, which Putin hosted.
In 2016, Russian hooligans were in pitch battles with English fans at the UEFA Euro tournament in France.
Now they are formalised as an armed force, and seen as heroes.
Espanola is currently recruiting “stormtroopers”, scout-saboteurs, snipers, drone operators, electronic warfare and air defence operators, portable ground reconnaissance station operators, anti-tank guided missile operators, anti aircraft specialists, communications specialists, mechanic-drivers, and medics.
Would-be fighters are told they will “take a quick but deep course of study in all directions with a real opportunity – or rather the need – to become a ‘universal soldier’.”
They will “become a real military man and benefit the Motherland without delay”.
And the stadium fighters will “get access and learn how to work with the most modern weapons, equipment and technologies”.
Sniper detachments “are provided with all the most advanced technologies — this applies to transport, equipment, and of course [guns].”
Recruits are told they “may not be hooligans, but they should be close to us in spirit and comply with the main principles of Española in life”.
Recruitment sessions have been held in Moscow and St Petersburg, as well as other cities.
They boast recruits from the hooligan armies of clubs like CSKA, Zenit, Spartak, Torpedo and Lokomotiv and the notorious Orel Butchers.
Several are known to have died so far in the war, including CSKA Moscow fan Maxim Shmanin, 44.
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It comes as Moscow attempts to enlist women prisoners and kids in a desperate war effort.
Putin has already deployed convicted murderers and rapists in his desire to wipe the state of Ukraine off the map. 
Solomatin, 47, played for Moscow clubs CSKA and LokomotivCredit: East2West
The hooligans’ battalion is 550 strongCredit: East2West
Recruitment sessions have been held in Moscow and St PetersburgCredit: East2West
The brigade, named Espanola, is filled with thugs from the terracesCredit: East2West More