Kiev, Europe Brief News – The Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) will start again on Aug. 23 which coincides with Ukraine’s National Flag Day.
The country’s sports minister said the matches will be held without fans and the stadiums will be equipped with shelters for any air raid sirens.
Sport Minister Vadym Guttsait said matches will have a military presence for security, as well as the other safety provisions.
“It is very important to resume playing football, like other national championships, in Ukraine,” he said.
“We keep competing and cheering. We keep fighting and winning. Ukrainian sport will earn victory on all fronts and cannot be stopped from progressing.”
No matches have been played since Russia invaded Ukraine last February.
However, the Premier League has committed to restarting the competition, after it was suspended and then abandoned last season following the Russian invasion.
Much of Ukraine’s football infrastructure, such as stadiums and training grounds, has been damaged by Russian attacks and many foreign players have left Ukrainian teams after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
