The President of the Ukrainian Football Association and Chairman of the UAF Coordination Center, Andriy Pavelko, along with First Vice-President of the UFA Vadym Kostyuchenko, paid a working visit to Sumy Oblast.

In Sumy, the leaders of the UFA met with the head of the oblast football association Andriy Prohorovich and the local football community. They discussed issues related to the cooperation between the regional humanitarian headquarters and the UAF Coordination Center in providing assistance to families affected by military actions, as well as the evacuation of children to club bases in western regions of Ukraine and abroad.

Photo courtesy of the UFA press service

As Andriy Pavelko noted, even during the most intense days of fighting, the Sumy Oblast Football Association team led by Andriy Prohorovich remained in Sumy, helping to evacuate children and deliver essential items to elderly people. The team continues to carry out an important humanitarian mission in cooperation with the UAF Coordination Center today.

Photo courtesy of the UFA press service

In Sumy, there was also a meeting between the leaders of the UAF and the oblast association with Mayor Oleksandr Lysenko, Head of OVA Dmytro Zhivetskyi, and People's Deputy of Ukraine from Sumy Oblast Mykola Zadorozhnyi. Participants discussed the implementation of humanitarian programs and further cooperation between local authorities and the football community to support internally displaced persons.

Photo courtesy of the UFA press service

During his visit to Sumy Oblast, the President of the UAF visited the city-hero Okhtyrka and Trostyanets. Both settlements were temporarily occupied by Russian fascists for almost a month but were eventually liberated by Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers. In particular, in Trostyanets, the Kantemirovskaya tank division was defeated, as a result of which one of its commanders committed suicide.

Photo courtesy of the UFA press service

The leaders of the UAF met with Mayor Yurii Bovy of Trostyanets and together visited the city stadium, which suffered serious damage. Later, Andriy Pavelko met with Mayor Pavlo Kuzmenko of Okhtyrka and the football community of the city. "I am grateful to the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers, the football community, and local authorities in Sumy, Okhtyrka, and Trostyanets for successfully repelling the Russian invasion and our joint efforts towards Ukraine's complete victory!" — Andriy Pavelko noted at the conclusion of his visit to Sumy Oblast.