Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has admitted it has been difficult to see Oleksandr Zinchenko suffer in recent weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Zinchenko, 25, has been visibly shaken by the violence in his homeland and even admitted that only his family has stopped him from travelling back to take up arms.
In an emotional interview with BBC Sport recently, the defender said he has been crying 'from nothing' - and has not been afraid to voice his defiance against the war.
While doing so, however, he has been training with his club as normal and Ederson has admitted the squad are doing their best to provide him with strength.
He said: 'It's a very difficult moment for him. It's his country. His family are there. Living these anguishing moments. For us who don't live there it is difficult.
'Can you imagine what it is like for him? It is hard to see your teammate suffer and the civilians suffering in the country. It's a very difficult topic.
'We try to give him strength and bring some joy into his day but we know how difficult that is. I hope it resolves and the country can get back to normality.
'It will be very difficult due to the damage being done, the amount of innocent people that are dying due to a war that is nothing to do with them.'
Ukraine international Zinchenko attended an emotional vigil in St Peter's Square in the days after the invasion began, and remains vocal in condemning the bloodshed.
Speaking to Gary Lineker, he revealed he has been sent countless videos and pictures of the devastation in his native land and said his people are 'just surviving'.
'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,' he said.
'It's everything in my head. Imagine the place where you were born, where you were growing up and there is just empty ground.
'I can show you one million pictures and videos of every city in my country which they destroyed.
'A security operation? Impossible. This is a real war. What they are doing is not acceptable. We need to stop this.
'People there are sending me facts… they are starving. People are just surviving, sleeping underground and in bunkers.'
On his wish to defend Ukraine from Vladimir Putin's forces, he added: 'I'll be honest, if not for my daughter, my family, I would be there.
'I'm just born like that. I know the people from my country, the mentality of them and all of them think exactly the same.
'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… there are no words.
'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].'
Zenit St Petersburg goalkeeper Stanislav Kritsyuk broke ranks from other Russian footballers to say his team-mates can't hide behind 'separating politics and sports'.
National team captain Artem Dzyuba, meanwhile, labelled war as 'frightful' but spoke of his pride in his nationality and hit back at Ukrainian stars who have criticised him.
In the same interview with the BBC, Zinchenko has blasted Russian players for not using their platforms to speak out against the aggression from their homeland.
'I was surprised that no one from all of them,' he said.
'Most of them play in the national team, and they have a lot of followers on Instagram and Facebook, at least they can say.
'They have positions but they just ignore it, I don't know why.'
After the war reached its 13th day, Ukrainian paratroopers have begun fighting Russian special forces in hand-to-hand combat near Kyiv.
Stas, a paratrooper who spoke to AFP, says Russian are now fighting street-to-street in places such as Irpin and Bucha in an attempt to surround the capital city.
'In some places, there is hand-to-hand combat,' Stas said. 'There is a huge column - 200 men, 50 light armoured vehicles, several tanks,' he said of the Russian threat.
'We are trying to push them out, but I don't know if we'll be fully able to do it.'
