Inside metropolis with deserted Champions League stadium as locals cowl streets with anti-drone nettings

A stadium that welcomed some of the world’s most prestigious football matches was deserted after merely five years in operation . . . and remains abandoned many years later. The Donbass Arena in Ukraine was constructed as the headquarters of Shakhtar Donetsk, engineered by the identical building company that developed the Etihad Stadium and the Allianz Arena.

The 52,000-capacity venue required £318million to construct, throwing open its gates on August 29, 2009, following three years of development. At that moment, it represented forward-thinking ambition as the eastern European nation, which had only reclaimed independence in 1991, reached out to the global community.

Ukrainian powerhouses Shakhtar carried their nation’s banner across Europe as the Donbass Arena routinely staged Champions League encounters. Manchester United met Shakhtar there in October 2013 in the tournament, with both teams sharing the spoils in a 1-1 stalemate.

Arsenal also competed there, enduring a 2-1 reverse three years prior in the group phase. The venue also accommodated five fixtures at Euro 2012, including England’s stalemate with France, and Spain’s penalty shootout triumph over Portugal in the semi-finals.

Nevertheless, it remained operational for just five years, being deserted in 2014 and unused ever since. The UEFA Category 4 facility was bombarded after the Donbas conflict erupted between Ukraine and Russia in 2014.

Shakhtar’s final match at the stadium took place in 2014, a 3-1 victory over Illichivets Mariupol that clinched a fifth consecutive league title, but barely 18,000 spectators were present as the city prepared for conflict.

Later that year, the stadium suffered significant damage to its turnstiles and entrances due to heavy artillery fire and explosions as the conflict intensified. A shell initially crashed into the arena, igniting a fire.

The latest imagery on Google Maps shows that the stadium remains very much in-tact, with the grass seemingly being kept in good condition – although the last images were snapped in 2024.

And as the onslaught from Putin’s army continues, locals are now putting up drone-proof netting across streets in the Donbass region, new images have shown.

In Kramatorks, which is one of the four cities in the Donetsk Oblast – includign Kostiantynivka, Druzhivka and Sloviansk – nettings can now be seen across the major roads, protecting locals from incoming missiles-laced tech.

However, it does seem as though many in the area are going about daily life as normal with one image showing two men standing outside the well-kept Yovileinyi Park in Kramatorks, having a chat while a woman clears up litter behind them.

Putin has claimed he wants the entire region under Russian control, but Ukraine refuses to cede the land to him thus far.