Ukraine officials to boycott Winter Paralympics over Russia inclusion

Ukraine officials to boycott Winter ParalympicsImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Russian flag has not been flown at a Paralympic Games since 2014ByKatie FalkinghamBBC Sport senior journalist in ItalyPublished18 February 2026, 13:39 GMTUpdated 1 hour agoUkrainian officials will boycott next month’s Winter Paralympics after Russian and Belarusian athletes were invited to compete under their national flags.On Tuesday, it was unveiled six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will compete in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding at the Milan-Cortina Games, which start on 6 March.In September, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted its ban on athletes from the two countries competing at the Games.However, the IPC does not govern the six sports contested at the Paralympics and despite the individual bodies – including the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) – refusing to lift their own bans, Russia and Belarus won an appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (Cas) against FIS.As a result, athletes have been able to return to FIS competitions and the 10 athletes have been awarded bipartite commission invitations to compete at the Paralympics.”Ukrainian public officials will not attend the Paralympic Games,” mentioned the country’s sports minister Matvii Bidnyi.”We will not be present at the opening ceremony. We will not take part in any other official Paralympic events.”We thank every official from the free world who will do the same. We will keep fighting!”European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef mentioned he would also not attend the opening ceremony and called on others to “take the same stand”.Both countries were suspended from Paralympic competition after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Belarus a close ally of Russia. A partial ban – allowing athletes to compete as neutrals – was introduced in 2023.Earlier on Wednesday, Johan Eliasch, the president of the FIS, told BBC Sport the decision to award bipartite places had “not been easy”.”What we’re dealing with here is an issue that is divisive, where people have different feelings depending on where they come from. It’s something that we have to respect,” he mentioned.”Athletes can’t choose where they were born. On the other hand, they can’t be used for PR purposes in their home countries to promote the war.”It’s our duty to make sure that athletes are not weaponised for political purposes.”Media caption, Russian flag to fly at Winter ParalympicsSix athletes to compete under Russian flag at Paralympics