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Football returns in Ukraine amid Russian invasion

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Top-flight football has returned in Ukraine amid the invasion by Russia which has kept sporting activities in the country halted for months.

Football returned on Tuesday in an empty Olympic Stadium, with bomb shelters prepared and Russia’s threat still looming.

The match saw a battle between Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist Kharkiv which ended goalless.

It was a restart of the Ukraine Premier League six months after it stopped due to the invasion.

Read Also: Wales beat Ukraine to qualify for first World Cup in 64yrs

The Ukranian league was halted in February after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country a day before the second half of the 2021-22 season was scheduled to begin.

The season was eventually cancelled, and there haven’t been pro football in most regions up until now.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has now encouraged the return of top-flight football as a morale-boosting show of defiance.

Meanwhile, Shakhtar have been playing friendly matches around the world in an attempt to campaign for peace.

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