Celtic v Shakhtar Donetsk: Taras Stepanenko says Ukrainian side eyeing Champions League win

Taras Stepanenko's Shakhtar drew with Celtic in Warsaw last month

When Shakhtar Donetsk captain Taras Stepanenko steps onto the pitch at Celtic Park on Tuesday, he'll be hoping to bring some cheer to the club's supporters in Ukraine.

A Champions League fixture such as this one carries its own importance - not least given Shakhtar remain in the mix for a place in the last 16 - but these chances to represent their homeland means so much more to those travelling to Glasgow.

"Every big sporting event helps to take people's mind off things, even for just a little while," Stepanenko tells the BBC. "Sometimes you can distract your brain from the situation, watch football and support your team."

The midfielder was in Ukraine when the Russian invasion started in February and can remember it vividly.

"I got up at five in the morning and saw the first explosions on a factory or something like that," he says.

"I thought something had happened as my house was near a military base. I thought it was military preparations. But then we started to read the news and check our phones. We realised the war had started."

Stepanenko was among a number of players who were able to leave the country, managing to flee with his young children, carrying just a suitcase.

Following their escape, Shakhtar played a number of charity matches in Europe before returning to Ukraine for the start of the country's Premier League season.

In September, they drew with Celtic in Warsaw - their Champions League matches being played in Poland due to safety concerns. Over the past few weeks, attacks on Kyiv and Lviv - where the team have been based of late - have increased.

Without a permanent home, the players can spend up to 11 hours getting to and from matches, but some respite came when Shakhtar were allowed to call off their domestic game to prepare for the trip to Scotland.

"We move from city to city and country to country. I can't say I stay in one place," Stepanenko says. "It's quite difficult because usually you don't have time to recover."

Many of the players in the squad have risen through the ranks of Shakhtar's academy after most of the club's foreign players left at the start of the invasion, with a contingent of 15 dropping to three.

"The academy players feel the spirit of the club, they feel the commitment of being citizens of Ukraine and they are like one collective," Stepanenko says. "We're like a big family."

It's hoped that the Champions League will also help bring attention back to the ever-changing situation in Ukraine.

"We try to play football for our country. We have to win," he says. "It's important that everyone knows what is happening in Ukraine and support the country. It's a very important message."

Beyond Tuesday's Champions League match, what are Stepanenko's hopes for the future? "What do I dream about?" he says. "Peace in Ukraine. We are waiting for our victory. The victory of Ukraine."