In spring 2022, he was under occupation in Mariupol in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, surviving with limited food and water and no electricity, heat or communication. Eventually he had to leave his home with only the clothes he had with him. However the visually impaired swimmer returned to the swimming pool in 2023 with a burning desire to win and at the Allianz Para Swimming World Championship in Manchester he secured three gold medals, one silver and set two world records. It was even more remarkable as Chufarov’s previous world championship gold medal was back in 2013.