The territory of the Kulykove Field in Odesa downtown will be closed for inspection by authorities, the national police website said late on 1 May.
On 2 May, the access to the square from Kanatna St. and Italian Blvd. will be through two checkpoints, equipped with metal detectors
From 7 to 22 hours on 2 May, the movement of private transport is temporarily restricted in the central districts of the city adjacent to Kulykove Field, and Soborna and Hretska squares.
Previously, the police reported discovering a backpack with explosives in the area of Kulykove Field. The backpack was stuffed with hand grenades, petards, an electric detonator, WW II fuses, electric battery and TNT.
In the spring of 2014, Kulykove Field was a place of gathering of local separatists. On 2 May 2014, clashes broke out in the square between the supporters of the pro-European and pro-Russian political course of Ukraine. These clashes culminated in a large skirmish outside the Trade Unions House located on Kulykove Field. That building caught fire in unclear circumstances, resulting in the deaths of 42 pro-Russian and two pro-Ukrainian activists.
Last year, the police found three grenades in an underground passage near the Odesa railway station not far from Kulykove Field.