“New Home — New Opportunities”: Yana Stepanenko Receives an Apartment from Rinat Akhmetov
Yana Stepanenko — the girl whose story became a symbol of resilience and moved Ukraine and the world — has received her own home from the founder of the Foundation and President of FC Shakhtar Rinat Akhmetov.
On April 8, 2022, the girl came under fire. That day, a russian missile struck the crowded evacuation railway station in Kramatorsk. Yana lost both of her legs. Despite what she endured, she kept her faith in herself, completed rehabilitation courses, and today is confidently building her own future.
Rinat Akhmetov personally congratulated Yana by phone. He wished her happiness in her new home and promised to visit her housewarming soon.
“Yana is a true example of incredible strength of character. Her energy and optimism cannot but inspire admiration. Despite the terrible tragedy she went through, she moves forward without looking back, sets new goals, and achieves them. This requires enormous inner strength and courage. I am confident that great victories lie ahead for her, and I am glad to support Yana on this path,” Rinat Akhmetov noted.
For the Foundation, supporting Yana is a sincere desire to always stand by her side and help the girl move toward her dreams. The certificate for the apartment was presented to Yana by the Foundation’s Program Director Iryna Blazhan. And the keys to her own apartment were handed to Yana by the Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, Nataliia Yemchenko.
“For us, the greatest joy is when a person walks into a new apartment, sees it for the first time, and feels that they are home. Right now, this is especially important. We paid special attention to ensuring that the apartment has everything necessary: so that one can simply move in and live there, taking into account all the nuances, as we work with people who have injuries,” Nataliia Yemchenko emphasized.
The new apartment in Kyiv for 14-year-old Yana is a comfortable and fully equipped space where the girl will be able to recover and make plans for the future. Yana is already delighted with her new home and has even decided where her bedroom will be:
“A very wonderful, beautiful, bright, large apartment. I am very grateful, truly very grateful — from the bottom of my heart — that Rinat Leonidovych gave me a new apartment. Now many opportunities will open up for me here. From now on, I want to study here and in the future work in Kyiv,” the girl shares.
Yana continues to engage in sports. In the spring of 2024, she completed a 5-kilometer distance at one of the world’s most prestigious marathons in Boston, and in March 2025, wearing a Shakhtar jersey, she ran 5 kilometers at a marathon in Tokyo, demonstrating to the whole world the unbreakable Ukrainian spirit.
Recently, Yana also received the honorary medal “Future of Ukraine” — a state award of the President for young citizens for courage, resilience, and patriotism. And this is only the beginning — the girl has numerous plans and ambitious dreams that she is confidently bringing to life.
The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation continues to help those affected by the war, supporting their path toward recovery, rehabilitation, and a new life.
Follow the news on the website: akhmetovfoundation.org/news.
