Oleksandr Zinchenko gives heartbreaking interview about the scenes in Ukraine

Oleksandr Zinchenko has given a heartbreaking interview with Gary Lineker about the scenes in Ukraine.

The defender spoke to Gary about Russia’s invasion of his homeland and offered a uniquely personal insight into the horrors of the conflict.

Lineker took to Twitter to describe the interview as ‘the most emotional and heart-rending interview I’ve ever done.’

Zinchenko was on the bench for City’s first game after the invasion against Everton before being named captain for the FA Cup win over Peterborough on Wednesday.

Asked where he was when he found out the invasion had started, Zinchenko replied: “At midnight UK time, my wife woke me up and she was crying.

“I was in shock. She showed me the videos, the pictures, what’s going on now in Ukraine.

“Maybe the most closest feeling is when someone from your circle is dying. You know, this feeling like you feel so bad inside. But this is even much more worse.

“I’m just crying. It’s already [been] a week – I’m not counting – but even when I drive the car from the training ground, I can just cry from nothing.

“It’s everything in my head. Imagine the place where you were born, where you were growing up and there is just empty ground.”

The 25-year-old said they are never far from what is going on in his homeland and that he would be back in Ukraine fighting if it weren’t for his family.

“I’ll be honest, if not for my daughter, my family, I would be there,” he said.

“I’m so proud to be Ukrainian, and I will be forever for the rest of my life. And when you’re watching the people, how they fight for their lives.

“I know the people, the mentality of my people from my country, they prefer to die, and they will die. But they’re not going to give (up).”

Oleksandr Zinchenko has also questioned the refusal of Russia’s leading footballers to speak out against their country’s invasion of his homeland.

After Russia invaded Ukraine last week, FIFA and UEFA suspended the country from international tournaments, but none of the nation’s top players has publicly criticised President Vladimir Putin’s decision to go to war.

“I was surprised that no one, not one of them, from all of them” has said anything, Zinchenko told the BBC.

“Most of them play in the national team and they have a lot of followers on Instagram, Facebook, wherever. And they can, they can at least they can do something to stop this war. Because the people can hear them.

“I already know that they (are) scared. But they’re scared of what? They’re not gonna do anything with them. At least they can say their positions, but they don’t, they just ignore it. I don’t know why.”