Russian athletes: Ukrainian officials to boycott Paralympics
Ukrainian officials will boycott next month’s Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games after the International Paralympic Committee approved the participation of a small group of Russian and Belarusian athletes under their national flags. Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi condemned the move as “outrageous”, arguing that allowing the symbols of countries waging war on Ukraine onto the Paralympic stage effectively endorses aggression and Kremlin propaganda. Under the IPC decision, six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will compete at the Games in Italy, marking the first time since the 2014 Sochi Paralympics that the Russian flag will be flown at a Paralympic event. Russia and Belarus had been largely excluded from international para sport following Moscow’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but member federations voted in September 2025 to lift their partial suspensions and restore full membership rights. Kyiv responded by […]