Shakhtar forward Lassina Traore, whom the Donetsk club recently wanted to get rid of, told why he decided to sing the Ukrainian anthem before the UPL 19th round match against Oleksandriya.

“On my part, this is also a manifestation of respect for Ukraine, for my colleagues. As I already said, this country has become my second home. I'm trying to learn the words to the hymn better so that I can sing it as best as possible..

I owe a lot to Shakhtar. The club has always been very decent towards me. When I was injured they took great care of me. I could count on them in any situation,” Traore quotes the goal as saying. pl.

Lassina Traore? Attacker at the hour of the victorious anthem of Ukraine? #Shakhtar #Ukraine #OlexandriaShakhtar pic. twitter. com/W1Rc0YMwP3.

FC SHAKHTAR DONETSK (@FCShakhtar) March 6, 2026.

Let us remind you that Traore moved to Shakhtar in the summer of 2021 from Ajax for 10 million euros.

The striker failed to gain a foothold in the Donetsk team due to several serious injuries, but did not leave Ukraine after the start of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation.

The Burkinabe striker is the team's highest paid player, earning €800,000 per month.

Played 102 matches as part of the Donetsk team, in which he scored 28 goals and gave 17 assists. The 25-year-old legionnaire's contract expires in June 2026.

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Earlier it was reported that Traore scored a goal in the African Cup of Nations match.