Ukraine demands the IOC to ban Russian athletes: what is the reason.

According to inkorr.com: Ukraine has addressed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Skating Union (ISU) with a demand to verify Russian athletes who ignore recommendations regarding the status of 'neutral' athletes. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Olympic Committee, and the Federation of Skating have officially appealed to these organizations for the verification of participants from competitions in Russia. This was reported by 'Glavkom'.

In its appeal, the Ukrainian side emphasizes cases of violation of the principle of neutrality:

• Skater Oleksandra Saitina participated in President Putin's address to the Federal Assembly.
• Ksenia Korzhova, a skater, spreads materials that glorify the Russian army and promote aggression against Ukraine.
• Skater Daniil Naidenishev maintains connections with Russian military personnel and publishes materials featuring the symbolism of the Russian armed forces.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports expresses gratitude for the assistance in gathering information from the editorial office of 'Glavkom' and the sports resource Base of Ukrainian Sports, - it is stated in the report of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Reaction to Russian Athletes

We remind that Russian skater Oleksandra Saitina, recognized as a neutral ISU athlete, was present at Vladimir Putin's annual address to the Federal Assembly.

The Winter Olympic Games 2026 will take place from February 6 to 22 in Italy.

Several Ukrainian sports organizations have called on the IOC and ISU to verify Russian athletes who violate the rules and support the propaganda of war. As a result of the verification, measures may be taken regarding the participation of these athletes in future competitions.