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Sensing a sympathy overload for his injuries, Ukrainian war veteran Ivan Horulko stopped his interpreter in her tracks.
As the captain of FC Shakhtar's newest team 'Shakhtar Stalevi', Horulko almost looked horrified before he dramatically interjected his English speaking colleague Inna Khmyzova, the Director of Shakhtar Social Foundation, who was translating his powerful words.
"Ivan just corrected me," Khmyzova said, almost apologetically. "I said he received a really hard wound, but he just corrected me, to say it’s not really a hard wound. He can move forwards. He doesn’t consider it to be a hard wound."
Horulko lost his leg stepping on a land mine. She also explained the 26-year-old, who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2014 and then volunteered himself for the Azov 12th Special Forces Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard on the day Russia invaded his homeland in 2022, will soon be re-donning his khakis to link back up with his comrades.
“I was in military service before the full-scale invasion," Horulko told the Mirror when asked what he was doing on February 24, 2022, the awful day Russia crossed into Ukraine's sovereign borders. "On the second day [of the invasion] I was called and I was in my unit with the brigade who were the first guys to meet the Russian forces."
When asked about the day he lost his leg, Horulko said: “In our unit, we don’t leave our comrades on the battlefield if they are wounded or even if they are dead. After the battle, I had to go back to check how many had been killed on the battlefield.
“During this investigation, there was a mine and I stepped on it. I am fine. Everything is fine. I have Shakhtar Stalevi and I am getting ready to go back to my military unit. I want to continue serving and fighting for my country."
The casualness in which Horulko describes his injuries is truly mind-boggling. In a day and age where footballers are screaming when a player treads on their toe, Horulko's reluctance to barely acknowledge, what is otherwise a devastating, life-changing injury, is surreal.
Considering the resistance Ukraine has put up against one of the biggest military forces in the world, it's fitting that he is equally resilient. Many of Horulko's team-mates have similar injuries suffered on the battlefields.
The name of their team, Shakhtar Stalevi, was coined by the players, translating to 'Made of Steel'. Shakhtar is the first side in the Ukrainian Premier League to establish a team of this nature. They are hoping they will not be the last.
Horulko is the captain and it is easy to see why. Bravery has become more of a cliche than a character trait we should all aspire to have.
He lost his leg in a mine-blast trauma when his troops were in Kreminna, an Eastern Ukrainian city in the Sievierodonetsk region of Luhansk Oblast, which has been a scene of heavy fighting since the invasion began.
Yet, Horulko is intent on returning to the battlefield, despite his injuries. As he prepares for his return to the army, Horulko sent a rallying call to other Ukrainian veterans looking for a group of comrades.
He added: “The spirit of the Shakhtar Stalevi is really strong and United. We will be striving for results and victories, of course, but our sport is right at the beginning of its development.
“I’m really grateful to Shakhtar because the club is the first Ukrainian football team to start an amputee football team. I emphasise that this is really important, because I will be going back into military service.
“I want other guys from other military teams and veterans who come back into civilian life to come and be involved and support the team. This sport in Ukraine is just in the beginning, but the Ukrainian amputee football team has already taken part in the European Amputee Football Championship in France.
“One of our players at Shakhtar Stalevi played in the national team and won against Belgium, which was a huge result. We are competitive, results are important to us, but we are only playing friendly matches with other teams and regular football teams, just to get some experience."
Daily Star Sunday
As the captain of FC Shakhtar's newest team 'Shakhtar Stalevi', Horulko almost looked horrified before he dramatically interjected his English speaking colleague Inna Khmyzova, the Director of Shakhtar Social Foundation, who was translating his powerful words.
"Ivan just corrected me," Khmyzova said, almost apologetically. "I said he received a really hard wound, but he just corrected me, to say it’s not really a hard wound. He can move forwards. He doesn’t consider it to be a hard wound."
Horulko lost his leg stepping on a land mine. She also explained the 26-year-old, who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2014 and then volunteered himself for the Azov 12th Special Forces Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard on the day Russia invaded his homeland in 2022, will soon be re-donning his khakis to link back up with his comrades.
“I was in military service before the full-scale invasion," Horulko told the Mirror when asked what he was doing on February 24, 2022, the awful day Russia crossed into Ukraine's sovereign borders. "On the second day [of the invasion] I was called and I was in my unit with the brigade who were the first guys to meet the Russian forces."
When asked about the day he lost his leg, Horulko said: “In our unit, we don’t leave our comrades on the battlefield if they are wounded or even if they are dead. After the battle, I had to go back to check how many had been killed on the battlefield.
“During this investigation, there was a mine and I stepped on it. I am fine. Everything is fine. I have Shakhtar Stalevi and I am getting ready to go back to my military unit. I want to continue serving and fighting for my country."
The casualness in which Horulko describes his injuries is truly mind-boggling. In a day and age where footballers are screaming when a player treads on their toe, Horulko's reluctance to barely acknowledge, what is otherwise a devastating, life-changing injury, is surreal.
Considering the resistance Ukraine has put up against one of the biggest military forces in the world, it's fitting that he is equally resilient. Many of Horulko's team-mates have similar injuries suffered on the battlefields.
The name of their team, Shakhtar Stalevi, was coined by the players, translating to 'Made of Steel'. Shakhtar is the first side in the Ukrainian Premier League to establish a team of this nature. They are hoping they will not be the last.
Horulko is the captain and it is easy to see why. Bravery has become more of a cliche than a character trait we should all aspire to have.
He lost his leg in a mine-blast trauma when his troops were in Kreminna, an Eastern Ukrainian city in the Sievierodonetsk region of Luhansk Oblast, which has been a scene of heavy fighting since the invasion began.
Yet, Horulko is intent on returning to the battlefield, despite his injuries. As he prepares for his return to the army, Horulko sent a rallying call to other Ukrainian veterans looking for a group of comrades.
He added: “The spirit of the Shakhtar Stalevi is really strong and United. We will be striving for results and victories, of course, but our sport is right at the beginning of its development.
“I’m really grateful to Shakhtar because the club is the first Ukrainian football team to start an amputee football team. I emphasise that this is really important, because I will be going back into military service.
“I want other guys from other military teams and veterans who come back into civilian life to come and be involved and support the team. This sport in Ukraine is just in the beginning, but the Ukrainian amputee football team has already taken part in the European Amputee Football Championship in France.
“One of our players at Shakhtar Stalevi played in the national team and won against Belgium, which was a huge result. We are competitive, results are important to us, but we are only playing friendly matches with other teams and regular football teams, just to get some experience."
Daily Star Sunday