A BRITISH war hero on Ukraine's frontline has hailed the spirit of the country as fans pack out pubs to cheer on their national squad at the Euros. Shareef Amin , 40 - dubbed "Rambo" - has returned to Ukraine after he was hit by a hail of bullets by Vladimir Putin 's troops as he ran through enemy fire. He was blown off his feet by artillery rounds - and told he could lose his right leg and arm.
But after being treated by medics in the UK, the former Brit soldier returned to rejoin his brothers in arms in Ukraine. As Ukraine 's national team go up against Belgium tonight, Shareef, who served two tours of Afghanistan , told The Sun: "Everyone is in a good mood at the moment. "That’s the nice thing about football.
Football brings people together. "It takes your mind away from the war and the stress of what is going on. "The beautiful thing about Ukrainian people is that no matter how hard they strive, no matter how hard they have it, they stand up and they try their best to not let it bother them.
" He added: "It reminds me of the way the British were in World War Two. "We don't let these dictators bring us down in the way they want to bring us down." Away from the brutality of the frontline, war-battered Ukrainians are seeking solace - and a glimmer of normality - in basement pubs and bars to watch Euro 2024 .
With hundreds of power generators dotted across Odesa and Kharkiv amid Putin's onslaught, Ukrainians are well prepared to catch a glimpse of the football as the war rag.
