Shakhtar Donetsk wins 5th straight Ukrainian soccer title on day of secession referendum
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Shakhtar Donetsk won its fifth straight Ukrainian Premier League title on the day its home city is holding a referendum on secession.
Shakhtar defeated Zorya Luhansk 3-1 in a game played in an empty stadium at a neutral venue in central Ukraine amid widespread unrest in the east.
Shakhtar's home city of Donetsk is the center of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk, where pro-Russian activists are hosting a vote Sunday that may lead to the region joining Russia.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There have been violent clashes in the city in recent weeks between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian demonstrators.