Ukrainian supporters will return to the stands. The Ukrainian championship resumed in August 2022 without an audience due to the war in Ukraine, which is still raging in the country following the invasion of Russia on February 24, 2022. Almost two years after the start of the conflict, stadiums will reopen in the west of the country. Far from the front line, the western cities are the refuges of several clubs like Shakhtar Donetsk.
The club, which plays at the Lviv Arena in the championship and in Hamburg (Germany) in the Europa League, was authorized by the authorities to welcome 500 supporters.
Rukh Lviv, sixth in Premier Liha, will be entitled to 1,000 tickets. The Obolon Kviv, in the capital, will have a capacity of 1,500 places, the same as the Pollisya Zhytomyr. The penultimate of Premier Liha, the Veres Rivne, obtained authorization from the local military administration to receive 1,200 people. In the second division, Karpaty Lviv will be allowed 3,000 spectators.
“Of course, this authorization is subject to compliance with all security requirements imposed by martial law,” the club explained. The distribution of tickets will be regulated: all of the income will go to the Ukrainian army. Additionally, 20% of tickets will be donated to soldiers.
The Ukrainian championship is being played in difficult conditions due to the fighting. Travel is by bus due to the closure of airspace, while a meeting, on November 6, 2023, was interrupted due to an air alert.
On the sports side, after 18 days, Kryvbas Krivoi-Rog and SK Dnipro-1 occupy the lead in the championship. Opponent of Olympique de Marseille in the Europa League, Donetsk is three points behind the leaders, however with two games in hand.
