FC Shakhtar Donetsk in European football

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Shakhtar represents its native country of Ukraine.

Since 1997, however, the club continuously participates on annual basis with variable successes, while also taking part in UEFA Champions League competition since 2000.

Shakhtar's first qualification to a group stage in a European competition took place in the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, when Shakhtar Donetsk played against Arsenal, Lazio and Sparta Prague in Group B.

In 2009, Shakhtar Donetsk won the UEFA Cup over Werder Bremen in the final held in Istanbul, becoming the first team in the independent Ukraine to win a European trophy.

In 2015–16, despite a poor display in the Champions League group stages, Shakhtar was able to qualify to the Europa League knock-out phases by finishing third place in the group; Shakhtar reached the semi-finals after knocking out Schalke 04, Anderlecht and Braga, but were eventually knocked out by title defenders Sevilla.