Participants in Rinat Akhmetov Foundation Project Meet European Diplomats in Milan and Tell the Truth About the Occupation

As part of the cooperation between the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and FC Shakhtar, Rostyslav and Vadym, participants in the “Youth Chooses Ukraine” project (the participants’ names have been changed for security reasons), arrived in Milan ahead of Shakhtar’s UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan. The main goal of the trip is to tell European politicians about the experiences of young people who escaped occupation and decided to build their future in Ukraine.

The Foundation’s delegation also included Ivan Krainii, a representative of the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.

Meetings have already taken place in Milan with consuls general and honorary consuls of European countries, representatives of the EU Mission, the government of the Italian region of Lombardy, and local authorities. Rostyslav and Vadym spoke about life in temporarily occupied territories, their decision to leave, and the support they have received since returning through their participation in the project.

Nineteen-year-old Vadym left occupied Kakhovka in 2025. He is now studying, building his future in Ukraine, and representing the interests of Ukrainian youth internationally.

“For young people from occupied territories, this project is a driving force that encourages them to move forward, leave the occupation, and build their future at home, in Ukraine. Initiatives like this show that our country needs us,” Vadym says.

Nineteen-year-old Rostyslav returned to territory under Ukrainian control last year. Since then, he has joined the “Youth Chooses Ukraine” project, continued his schooling, and got his first job. The opportunity to share his experiences with European politicians has become an important mission for him: to tell the truth about the occupation and support other young people who want to leave.

“Under occupation, you live in constant fear and are forced to suppress all your emotions. It is important for young people there to know that they are welcome in Ukraine and that they will receive help with education, housing, and adaptation. This is the main driving force that gives them the courage to leave,” Rostyslav says.

The trip combines international advocacy with top-level football. Rostyslav and Vadym will get to know Shakhtar better and talk to the players. Today, they will cheer on the Miners in person at San Siro Stadium as they take on Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League.

FC Shakhtar is a partner of the “Youth Chooses Ukraine” project. In eight matches during the European season, the team takes to the pitch wearing the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation logo on its playing kit, helping draw international attention to the stories of young Ukrainians who have experienced occupation.

“Youth Chooses Ukraine” is a pilot project of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine. It helps young people aged 18–23 who have returned from temporarily occupied territories or following unlawful deportation to pursue education, find employment, adapt, and build independent lives in Ukraine.