A Ukrainian Premier League match in Odesa was called off on August 8, 2026, after a Russian drone damaged Chornomorets Stadium the day before.
The game between home side Chornomorets Odesa and Kolos Kovalivka was due to kick off at midday. It was called off after a Russian drone strike hit the ground on August 7, DR reports. The strike tore a hole in the roof and smashed windows at the stadium.
The club announced the postponement in a post on Facebook. Chornomorets described the destruction at what it called a sporting landmark for Odesa. Per the statement, the club regards the attack as another act of terror against a peaceful Ukrainian city.
According to DR, a woman was injured when the drone struck the stadium. No new date for the fixture had been announced. The club said it hoped the match could still be played in Odesa with its fans in the stands, rather than at a borrowed ground.
The Kyiv Independent reported that the August 7 strike damaged one of Ukraine’s largest football stadiums. As noted by the outlet, the venue suffered significant damage to its roof, glazing and spectator stands. It also reported at least two people injured, more than the single casualty reported by DR.
Swedish outlet Aftonbladet reported that the home match was postponed because the arena had been bombed in a Russian attack. According to its report, a 29-year-old woman was injured in the strike. The outlet added that it remained unclear when and where the match would be played.
League to set a new date
Intent Press reported that the Matchday 2 game would be moved to one of the season’s alternate dates. As stated by the outlet, the Ukrainian Premier League directorate will decide the new date and kickoff time. It also reported that tickets already bought remain valid.
Chornomorets Odesa has been able to keep playing at its own ground during the war, DR notes. Several clubs from eastern Ukraine, including Shakhtar Donetsk, have been without a home stadium for years. The Odesa venue has served as the club’s home ground since it opened in 2011, according to publicly available background on the stadium.
The postponement followed directly from the damage caused on August 7. DR reports that the venue was hit the day before the scheduled kickoff. The club’s own statement and later coverage by the Kyiv Independent and Intent Press link the cancellation to the drone attack.
