Last season's UPL was terminated in April having been unable to resume from its winter break due to the Russian invasion in February, but domestic football is set to return in Ukraine behind closed doors with added security measures on Tuesday (August 23), coinciding with the Day of the National Flag.

In its statement announcing the broadcasting rights arrangement, the UPL hailed soldiers of Ukraine's armed forces.

"It is thanks to your courage and professionalism it has become possible to hold the Championship," the statement read.

At least four matches will be shown live on the broadcaster's linear channels in each round of fixtures, and two shown live on its Youtube channel, with all games available free of charge via this platform within 15 minutes of their conclusion.

All matches will also be available live on Setanta Sports' over-the-top streaming platform.

The contract also requires Setanta Sports to transfer match highlights to clubs within six hours of the end of each match.

The UPL said that "the unprecedented conditions were reached to promote the maximum accessibility of football to Ukrainian fans".

It also claimed that the deal would help to "raise the level of the Ukrainian football product", and thanked clubs who supported the move, as it required the votes of more than half for it to be approved.

Ukrainian Association of Football representatives who contributed to the negotiations were also thanked by the UPL.

More than 2.5 million households in Ukraine have access to Setanta Sports' linear channels, with the country's population estimated at around 41 million.

Its channels cover 14 countries in Europe and Asia, reaching up to 15.5 million households.

The UPL is ranked 12^th on UEFA's association club coefficients for European domestic leagues.

Shakhtar Donetsk, who were first at the time of the league's termination last season but were not awarded the title, have automatically qualified for the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League, with another of the country's leading clubs in Dynamo Kyiv competing in ongoing qualifiers.

Ukraine's clubs and national teams have played recent home matches in UEFA and FIFA competitions at neutral venues, mostly in Poland, due to the war with Russia.

Both governing bodies have banned teams from Russia from matches under their jurisdiction, although sides from Belarus, a Russian ally in the war, have been permitted to compete internationally at neutral grounds and behind closed doors.

Since the end of February, the International Olympic Committee has recommended that athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus are excluded from competitions by International Federations.