Two Injured Ukrainian Soldiers Running London Marathon For Their War-Torn Homeland—-Two injured Ukrainian marines are taking on the TCS London Marathon for their war-torn homeland — and will return to active duty afterwards.
Heorhii ‘Gosha’ Roshka and Oleksii Rudenko have refused to be sidelined after losing limbs in the fight against Russian military aggression since 2014.
The 42km run in London will be the servicemen’s first marathon, with Mr Rudenko telling the PA news agency: “We are very eager to start. We’re ready and we’re not afraid.”
“I want as many people as possible to see that Ukrainians can beat the marathon even without limbs and that we are unbreakable and unstoppable,” he added.
Mr Roshka joined the Ukrainian army in 2017 after Russia occupied Crimea.
In May 2022, he took up a combat position in the Azovstal steel plant, the heart of a pocket of resistance in the then-besieged city of Mariupol, which is now under Russian occupation.
After being hit by a mine, he retreated to a bunker in the steel plant where his arm was amputated.
Less than two weeks later he was forced to surrender and was taken captive along with his comrades.
Mr Roshka said he is “still very emotional” about the atmosphere inside the steel plant.
“People were in a very bad situation so we were just waiting there for the final moment of our life because no-one thought there was going to be survival,” he said.
“Some people decided it was going to be maybe easier to shoot themselves because it was a desperate situation.”
Mr Roshka was held captive with his fellow Ukrainian soldiers in a hospital in Donetsk for a month-and-a-half before he was eventually freed as part of a prisoner swap.
He said: “I lost a lot of blood so I didn’t really care at the moment we were taken captive. I felt really, really bad and I didn’t really care what happened next.
“During captivity itself, it was really hard. We were humiliated both physically and mentally. We were hit and verbally abused.
“When the arm was amputated in Azovstal the conditions were really bad and I couldn’t properly treat it there and in captivity I didn’t get good healthcare so the arm started to rot.”
Mr Roshka was initially suspicious when placed on a bus driving to Ukraine but when he realised he was being freed, he felt “happiness”.
“We started to have faith and then once we saw the Ukrainian flag, almost everyone started crying and we were really happy,” he said.
Mr Roshka went through “a hard path of recovery, prosthetics, and rehabilitation” in Ukraine before returning to military service.
On running the London Marathon, he said: “This is not only a test of my character, but also an opportunity for me to support my fellow brothers who were seriously wounded.”
Mr Rudenko, who had to leave the interview early after air raid sirens rang out in Odesa, joined the Ukrainian army in 2020 and held a position in Donetsk for six months before stepping on a mine during a combat mission and losing his leg.
“We were walking through a forest and we de-mined three mines but the fourth mine was hidden under the ground. It wasn’t visible so I stood on it,” he told PA.
“Then after the explosion I saw that my leg was gone so I quickly applied a tourniquet and we decided to fall back.”
Mr Rudenko, now an army instructor, continued: “I was taken to Kyiv first and underwent nine operations and when I spoke to the doctor I asked them if I could run after the amputation.
“The doctor said that in order to run, I would need a sports prosthetic so to do that they needed to cut the upper leg so this is why I had another operation to cut the leg even more.”
After undergoing nine operations, it took Mr Rudenko five months to fully adapt to his prosthetic leg.
He said: “The first couple of weeks you have to walk 12 minutes a day on prosthetics but I didn’t care and I walked two or three hours. You really need to move. If you move a lot, it’s easier to adapt.”
The servicemen are raising money for two injured Ukrainian soldiers through the Citizen Charity Foundation.
Mr Rudenko concluded: “I am running 2024 London Marathon to support as many seriously injured fellow brothers with amputations as possible.
“My goal is to spread awareness and raise funds for seriously injured Ukrainian servicemen who have lost limbs.”
Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a club-record £100 million deal with Newcastle United to sign Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali, in what is set to become one of the biggest transfers of the summer window. The agreement is understood to be worth an initial £92.5 million, with a further £7.5 million in performance-related add-ons.
The 26-year-old is expected to sign a long-term contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after agreeing personal terms. Tonali is reportedly set to become one of the club’s highest-paid players, with manager Roberto De Zerbi playing a pivotal role in convincing his fellow Italian to make the move to North London.
De Zerbi identified Tonali as the cornerstone of his midfield rebuild, believing the Italy international possesses the technical quality, leadership and tactical intelligence needed to transform Spurs into Premier League and UEFA Champions League contenders. The pair share a close footballing philosophy, with sources indicating Tonali was persuaded by De Zerbi’s long-term vision for the club.
Tonali joined Newcastle United from AC Milan in 2023 for around £55 million and quickly became one of the Premier League’s standout midfielders. Although his first season in England was interrupted by a 10-month suspension for breaches of betting regulations, he returned strongly and helped Newcastle end their long wait for major silverware by winning the Carabao Cup before re-establishing himself as one of the league’s elite central midfielders.
For Newcastle, the sale represents a substantial profit and provides significant financial flexibility as the club continues to reshape its squad. Reports suggest Eddie Howe’s side are already targeting replacements, including Hoffenheim winger Bazoumana Touré and Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi, while also exploring further additions before the new season begins.
The acquisition of Tonali signals Tottenham’s intent under De Zerbi. The Italian midfielder is expected to become the centerpiece of a revamped Spurs side aiming to challenge for domestic honours and compete strongly in Europe. Once the medical and final paperwork are completed, Tonali will officially become Tottenham’s most expensive signing in the club’s history, eclipsing all previous transfer records.
The United States booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a determined 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, overcoming the dismissal of star striker Folarin Balogun to continue their impressive run on home soil.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side endured a nervy start at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium as Bosnia threatened through Ermedin Demirović, forcing goalkeeper Matt Freese into two excellent early saves. Despite Bosnia’s bright opening, the hosts gradually settled into the contest, dominating possession and creating the better opportunities.
The breakthrough came just before halftime in the 45th minute. A high press forced Bosnia into surrendering possession near midfield, and after Malik Tillman’s attempted pass deflected kindly into Balogun’s path, the Monaco striker calmly slotted a left-footed finish beyond the goalkeeper to score his third goal of the tournament. The strike made Balogun only the third American player to score three or more goals in a single FIFA World Cup.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 64th minute when Balogun was shown a straight red card following a VAR review. Referee Raphael Claus upgraded the incident to serious foul play after reviewing Balogun’s challenge on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemović, leaving the United States to play the remainder of the match with ten men. The dismissal means Balogun will miss the Round of 16 clash against Belgium through suspension.
Despite the setback, the Americans showed tremendous resilience. With Bosnia pushing forward in search of an equalizer, Malik Tillman produced a moment of brilliance in the 82nd minute, curling a superb free-kick into the top corner to double the lead and effectively seal qualification. Matt Freese completed an outstanding evening by preserving his clean sheet with several key saves late in the contest.
The victory sends the United States into the Round of 16, where they will meet Belgium in Seattle in one of the standout ties of the knockout stage. However, Pochettino will be without his leading scorer after Balogun’s dismissal, a significant blow as the co-hosts aim to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2002.
While Balogun’s evening ended in disappointment, his goal proved crucial in setting the United States on course for victory. Combined with Tillman’s spectacular free-kick and a disciplined defensive display, it was enough to keep the Americans’ World Cup dream alive as they prepare for their toughest test yet against Belgium.
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