Security challenge, racism fears for Ukraine
KYIV (AFP) – Euro 2012 marks a major security challenge for co-host Ukraine, which has faced mysterious bomb blasts and is in the spotlight amid fears over racism and hooliganism during the showcase football tournament.
Organisers have moved to calm concerns after two new explosive devices were discovered and defused by bomb-disposal teams, one on Thursday in the western city of Uzhgorod and another a week ago in the capital Kyiv.
They came a month after around 30 people were injured in four explosions in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk for which no-one has claimed responsibility.
While neither Uzhgorod nor Dnipropetrovsk are among Ukraine’s four Euro 2012 host cities, Kyiv will see a string of games, including the final on July 1.