Ukrainian oligarch and FC Shakhtar Donetsk president Rinat Akhmetov believes that "the ultimate priority" today is to restore peace in Ukraine's eastern regions.
“Today the ultimate priority is to stop the war, save the lives of children, women, elderly people and all residents of Donbas. Our region is in trouble. It has found itself in the center of a humanitarian catastrophe. The main task is to restore peace and to save Donbas,” he said.
When commenting to the FC Shakhtar press service on strikes that were launched against the Donbas Arena stadium on Aug. 23, Akhmetov said that “a damaged building, even the one like Donbas Arena, is nothing in comparison with a real value such as human lives.”
“If I were asked whether I am prepared to see our stadium smashed into pieces and whether I am prepared to lose my business in exchange for peace returning to Donbas, I would immediately agree to that,” he said.
Two powerful explosions ripped through the Donbas Arena stadium, which traditionally hosts matches of FC Shakhtar, early on Aug. 23, damaging the northwestern facade of the building, infrastructure, equipment and a power generating facility, located in the northern part of the Donbas Arena park.
