Shakhtar to play four charity games with proceeds going to Ukraine aid

Shakhtar Donetsk will play European clubs in a series of charity matches with the proceeds to be spent on aid for people in Ukraine affected by the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian club said on Friday.

The Ukrainian Premier League side have not played since Russia invaded the country in February in what Moscow calls a "special military operation".

The first charity match is against Olympiakos in Athens on Saturday, followed by games against Lechia Gdansk (April 14), Fenerbahce (April 19) and Hajduk Split (May 1).

"We want to talk about war and peace in Ukraine through these matches. About the terrible war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine, about the suffering and destruction that this war brought to our country," Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin said.

"About peace – the need to end this madness, return to normal life and rebuild the country. Our messages are simple: stop war in Ukraine and football for peace – that says it all."

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)