Vitaly Shumei lost part of his skull when he was hit by an artillery shell while fighting in the Donbass region in August 2022. Shakhtar decided to pay for his transfer to Barcelona's Guttmann Brain Health Institute, where he is undergoing a long neurorehabilitation process.
"Strong emotions and all. I really wanted to cry, because when you see him, he is a really strong guy who protect(ed) our country," Stepanenko told Reuters.
In the five months that Shumei has been in Barcelona, his condition has improved significantly, Shakhtar said in a statement, especially after doctors performed a complex brain surgery in June.
Now, Shumei is starting to speak again. He can say a few words such as "yes, dad" or "juice", according to the statement.
"After the surgery... he was more attentive, he started to turn his head to verbal commands," neurologist Sergio Albu told Stepanenko and Andriy Pyatov, a former Shakhtar goalkeeper who now coaches at the club.
Shumei's father, Serhiy, said he wanted his son to be back on his feet as soon as possible, though "if it turns out otherwise, that means this is how fate treats us".
"I want to tell people that if this happens to your child, to your husband, to your brother or son, I beg you to hold on - there will be a glimmer of hope to hold on," he added.
Shakhtar face Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
