You're reading: Russia’s Gazprom advertises in Kyiv ahead of Champions League final (PHOTO)

A banner bearing the logo of the Russian state gas company Gazprom was spotted on May 21 at the football fan zone set up in central Kyiv with regard to the upcoming 2018 Champions League final game.

The banner was put up just days after the city authorities promised that there will be no logos of the Russian company, a long-time championship sponsor, anywhere else in Kyiv except for the Olimpiyskiy Stadium, where the match would be held on May 26 between Real Madrid and Liverpool teams.

On May 17, the Kyiv city administration official in charge of the preparations for the Champions League Andriy Myroshnychenko claimed that such an agreement was struck with UEFA and thanked the football organization for “understanding.”

A banner with Gazprom logo is seen at the official Champions League fan zone in central Kyiv on May 21 among other sponsors of the championship.

The banner of one of Russia’s biggest state companies is hardly welcome in Ukraine that has been in the state of undeclared war with Russia and its proxies in Ukraine’s eastern region Donbas since 2014 when Russia annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea.

Gas trader Gazprom is especially unwelcome since Russia historically used its role as the region’s main natural gas supplier to pressure Ukraine, making the gas export prices an important part in its geopolitical game.

Moreover, Gazprom has been in legal battle with its Ukrainian counterpart Naftogaz. In March, an arbitration court in Stockholm obliged Gazprom to pay Naftogaz almost $2.6 billion in compensation for failure to deliver transit gas.

Gazprom has been the Champions League tournament’s sponsor since 2012. In 2018, the Russian gas monopolist extended the sponsorship contract to 2021.

Сhampions Village, the official fan zone for the May 26 game, is under construction in the Khreshchatyk Street in central Kyiv. Three smaller fan zones will be set up in the Kontraktova Square in the historical district of Podil, in the Shevchenko Park, and near the Ukraine Palace.