London business newspaper City AM has published an interview with FC Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Serhii Palkin and Jock Mendoza-Wilson, SCM's Director of International and Investor Relations. The article explains how Shakhtar's Champions League home matches at Stamford Bridge, and the "Invest in Ukraine" call on the team's shirts, remind the world that Ukraine is fighting on. It was published ahead of Shakhtar's game against Sporting Lisbon. Since the full-scale invasion, SCM companies have invested more than $4.3 billion in Ukraine.
What did City AM write about Shakhtar and SCM?
City AM wrote that London gives Shakhtar and its owner, our shareholder Rinat Akhmetov, a platform to remind people that Ukraine is "in every sense, fighting on". It added that London's role as a financial centre makes it the right place for the "Invest in Ukraine" call.
Why is a Ukrainian club playing its home matches in London?
Shakhtar has not played in Donetsk since 2014, and has played its European matches outside Ukraine since 2022. This season, the club hosts its Champions League home matches at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium. Mr Palkin told City AM:
"We would like to use this to open the door to the whole world to show that Ukraine is not just in survival mode. We are in a mode to recover and to grow."
What does "Invest in Ukraine" mean in practice?
It is SCM's call to international business to invest in Ukraine now, alongside SCM, without waiting for the war to end. Shakhtar carries the message and the SCM logo in at least eight Champions League matches this season. Mr Mendoza-Wilson said:
"Investing in Ukraine today isn't about quick returns. It's about security, for Ukraine and for Europe, whether that's energy, food or defence. Every investment makes Ukraine stronger, and a stronger Ukraine means a safer Europe."
Is anyone really investing in Ukraine during the war?
Yes. SCM companies have invested more than $4.3 billion in Ukraine since 2022. SCM's energy company DTEK is developing wind and solar power with international partners, and SCM's steel company Metinvest continues to modernise production.
"Russia is targeting Ukrainian businesses to try to break the economy and drive people out. Our answer is to keep investing, keep building and keep people in work," said Mr Mendoza-Wilson.
He added that the response to the campaign has been very good: "The conversations are no longer about emergency aid. They are about real projects."
How did the match against Sporting Lisbon go?
Shakhtar lost 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, despite controlling much of the game. In October, the team beat AEK Athens 3-1 in its first Champions League match in London. Mr Palkin told City AM that, because of the war, Shakhtar has no ticket sales, TV rights or commercial partners, so Champions League prize money is vital for the club.
