Everton player Vitalii Mykolenko has taken to social media to issue an anti-war message to Russia following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his native Ukraine.
Mykolenko joined Everton in the January transfer window from Dynamo Kyiv for an undisclosed fee reported to be worth £17million plus add ons.
The 22-year-old told his Instagram followers earlier today: “The truth will defeat propaganda!
“On February 24, the Russian federation attacked the territory of Ukraine, a sovereign European state.
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“They did it treacherously, while everyone was sleeping.
“Today is the 6th day of the war. Civil people are dying. Houses and squares are disappearing, but our faith in victory is not.
“The aggressor has launched a powerful false propaganda that we must fight against by telling the truth to the whole world!
“We are Ukrainians. We are one. We are defending our land. We ask for your support.”
Mykolenko’s post came after West Ham United’s Andriy Yarmolenko posted an online video with the hashtag StopWarInUkraine showing a montage of Ukrainian footballers speaking out against the invasion.
The footage also featured some of the responses to the war at football matches so far, including the banners and flags from both sets of players and supporters – including Mykolenko and compatriot Oleksandr Zinchenko during Everton’s game against Manchester City on Saturday evening.
