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Fighting in eastern Ukraine displaces Donetsk's soccer team
The sleek stadium, built six years ago and host to some of Europe's biggest soccer matches, is silent
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he sleek stadium, built six years ago and host to some of Europe's biggest soccer matches, is silent. It sits in the middle of the city of Donetsk, a war zone controlled by pro-Russian separatists battling Ukrainian troops.
The $425 million Donbass Arena now serves as a depot and distribution point for supplies of humanitarian aid.
With 52,000 seats, it is the home of the talented soccer team Shakhtar Donetsk ' but the squad hasn't played there since May 2. The fighting in eastern Ukraine has forced the team to play home games more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) away in Lviv, near the border with Poland.
Players originally packed light for what they thought would be a short stay in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and traveling by bus to the games in Lviv. Nine months later, they are starting to build new lives there. (***)
