Border Guard Service: About 200 Eurovision participants from 20 countries have already arrived in Ukraine
Within three days, Ukrainian border guards have registered about 200 participants and team members of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 from 20 countries. This was reported on May 1 by the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
"The border guards registered most of the participants at the ‘Boryspil’ and ‘Kyiv’ air transport checkpoints. Another team arrived at the ‘Platonovo’ motor vehicle checkpoint, which is in the Odessa region ", noted the Ukrainian State Border department.
The border guards added that they believe that the main points of entry for the arrival of the Eurovision participants and guests will be air transport checkpoints, which will account for up to 70% of the total number of visitors to Eurovision.
"20% will use motor vehicle checkpoints, and another 10% are expected via railway tracks," the border guards added.
A Ukrainian singer of Crimean Tatar origin, Jamala, won the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden in 2016. She won by singing the song "1944", about the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people. After the Ukrainian performer’s win, the 2017 contest is being held in Kyiv.
The semi-finals of the Eurovision 2017 contest wil take place in Kyiv on May 9 and 11, while the final will be held on May 13. The group O.Torvald will represent Ukraine at Eurovision this year, with the song “Time”.
It is noted that representatives of 43 countries will take part in the competition, which is a record number for recent years.
At the same time, the Security Service of Ukraine banned Yuliya Samoylova, the Russian representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, from entering the country over concerts held in the annexed Crimea.