‘Soldiers watch our games in trenches’: Serhiy Sydorchuk paints vivid picture of war in Ukraine

Russian soldiers are 50 kilometres from Serhiy Sydorchuk’s family in Zaporizhzhia yet the Dynamo Kyiv midfielder emphasises the importance of playing for Ukraine against Ireland in the Nations League.

Because Europeans need to know what is happening in his country and to his people. Because it is becoming increasingly easy to switch the channel or mute or scroll far, far away from news about the war.

“I want to say is this: Zaporizhzhia is not taken by the Russians,” Sydorchuk stated. “They are surrounding the city. They are probably 50, 60 kilometres away.

“My mother, my father, my granny and my wife’s parents are still in Zaporizhzhia. My whole extended family are still there. I am happy to say that it is relatively calm at the moment but I feel very proud that the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag is still above the city. That gives me the strength to carry on.”

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City by city, from Glasgow to Cardiff and now Dublin, not a single word is wasted as Sydorchuk and Ukraine manager Oleksandr Petrakov relay harrowing truths about what is happening in their motherland.

Calm and clear-eyed, the 31-year-old commanded the Irish football media’s attention with incredible information about the invasion that continues to rage in eastern Ukraine. Any notion that Wales knocked the stuffing out of this squad, by denying them qualification to the World Cup last Sunday, is instantly dismissed.

“It’s not difficult to get fired up for a game because when you get feedback from Ukraine, when you get to know soldiers watch our games in trenches, people are following us under the bombs, it gives us enormous strength, enormous inspiration, so this game, it’s very easy to get set on.”

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Agony was etched across the Ukrainian players faces following their 1-0 loss to Wales but Petrakov only allowed them an hour to feel sorry for themselves.

“We got back to the hotel and it was dead silence reigning over the team, it is the first time in my professional career that I experienced this silence,” said Sydorchuk. “Not a sound from anyone, the players basically stayed in their rooms for one hour.

“After that, we started to emerge and tried to communicate with each other. But coach Oleksandr Petrakov said that men should remain men and the Ukrainian team should turn this painful page. Because tomorrow, a new story is awaiting. That’s why all my thoughts are on concentrating on the game.”

Sydorchuk, who wins a 50th cap at the Aviva Stadium, has felt a very real and personal impact from the war.

“We left Kyiv with my family when the shelling started. My wife was eight months pregnant so our first task was to find a maternity hospital suitable for her to give birth to our child.

“What we experienced is what the rest of Ukraine is experiencing now.”

Sport seems insignificant in such circumstances but Petrakov has turned it into a powerful tool. He would be forgiven for offering the the same stump speech he has uttered dozens of times since pulling the squad together on April 30th but the 64-year-old – who was denied the chance to defend Kyiv, by taking out “two or three enemies” – communicates with inspirational composure.

“Despite this being a difficult situation, I just want to say that I love my country,” said Petrakov. “I want to be back home. No matter where I travel, I think the best place in the world is our capital, Kyiv.

“We don’t know what will happen next or how the situation will pan out, what will happen with our Premier League, what will happen in the new season.

“I just want to say that I really want to go home and for the situation to normalise. That’s basically my major concern.”

Before Ukraine began training on the Lansdowne grass, Petrakov added: “Thank you. I wish you people peaceful skies over head.”