Chelsea paid £89 million ($108 million/€100 million) to beat table toppers and London rivals Arsenal Football Club for the Ukrainian's signature.

"I want to thank the entire civilised world for helping Ukraine," Akhmetov said.

"We can only talk about Ukrainian football because of the Ukrainian army, the Ukrainian people and the tremendous support we have had during this incredibly difficult time.

"And the only way we can defeat the evil that has come to our homes is by working together.

"I am donating $25 million (UAH 1 billion) of the transfer fee to help our soldiers, defenders and their families.

"The money will be used to cover different needs, from providing medical and prosthetic treatment and psychological support, to meeting specific requests.

"It will be managed by an independent professional team that will work with the Azovstal defenders, their families, care providers and volunteers.

"This is the beginning of the Heart of Azovstal, a brand-new project that will help the Mariupol defenders and the families of fallen soldiers. Their acts of bravery are unparalleled.

"And it is their sacrifice and courage that helped contain the enemy in the first months of the war, providing the platform for the inevitable Ukrainian victory."

While Akhmetov wants Shakhtar to win European trophies, he said that the it is not possible at the moment due to the "unjust war" against his nation.

He also suggested that Chelsea and Shakhtar would soon play a friendly at the Donbass Arena in Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 23 2022, shortly before the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics.

As a result, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended International Federations to ban athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus until the war was over.

While most of them followed, some organisations let them compete as neutrals.

However, last month’s Olympic Summit, chaired by IOC President Thomas Bach, agreed unanimously to follow up an initiative proposed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to enable Russian and Belarus athletes to take part in its competitions.

"But I remain utterly confident we will defeat the aggressor," Akhmetov continued.

"One of the things I look forward to most after our victory is Mykhaylo returning with his Chelsea team for a friendly match in Donbass Arena in a Ukrainian Donetsk.

"We must do everything we can to bring this day closer."

Mudryk is the fifth January signing for the London club and signed on an eight-and-a-half-year deal.

Chelsea have been spending a lot of money in the transfer market since an American consortium led by Todd Boehly took over as owners in May last year.

Chelsea's previous owner Roman Abramovich was forced to sell the club last year after he was sanctioned by the British Government due to the war in Ukraine.

The Russian oligarch has been accused of having "clear connections" to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Despite the heavy spending by new owners, Chelsea are currently 10^th in the Premier League table and are not in great form.

They will face Liverpool Football Club - also in poor form - on Saturday with Mudryk expected to make his debut.