Oleksandr Zinchenko's former teammate training at Man City after fleeing Russia

Ukrainian refugee Andrii Kravchuk has begun training with Manchester City EDS after terminating his contract with Torpedo Moscow FC when Russia invaded his homeland. Oleksandr Zinchenko, who met and befriended Kravchuk in the Shakhtar academy when they were boys, personally helped to arrange for City to give the 23-year-old a space to train and the FA, Premier League and Home Office have approved.

Kravchuk was on pre-season training in Turkey when he got a call in the early hours of the morning from his mother telling him of the invasion, with the player not thinking twice before deciding to rip up his contract. His family remain in Kyiv, with his brother currently fighting in the armed forces.

"My mother called me at 5am. She usually calls me at lunchtime after training but this was different," he said. "Her first words to me were: 'Russia is bombing us'. It’s shock. I couldn’t find the words. I was destroyed inside.

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"I cannot believe it’s happened. In the 21st century, in the middle of Europe. I still can’t find the words. A month before the attack, Russian military were around our borders but I thought that was just a political move. We never expected this.

"My family are in Kyiv and safe right now. My mother has just told me she can still hear the bombs. I’m really worried. I am in groups on my phone and always receiving messages with bombing alerts. Every time those alerts come through I am so anxious. Your only thought is that my family can die.

"I speak to my brother every day. I tell him every day how proud I am of him, for not only protecting our family but the whole country and the Ukrainian people. He is staying and