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The 2026 Winter Olympics begin on 6 February in Italy. russian athletes are allowed to participate under a neutral status. The international sports community emphasises that russians should not be allowed to participate in the Olympics in any capacity, as this only perpetuates their aggression against Ukraine. Only 13 russians and 7 Belarusians will travel to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, a historic low for both countries. Formally, they are ‘neutral’ athletes. In reality, they are hidden propaganda for putin's criminal regime.

After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most international federations suspended athletes from russia and Belarus (as russia's main accomplice in the war against Ukraine). However, over time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has eased sanctions, allowing participation in a neutral status if the athlete has not publicly supported the war and is not associated with the army or security forces. 
But for some reason, the IOC ignores the fact that russian sport is part of the military and propaganda machine. The vast majority of russian and Belarusian Olympians are reserve officers of the armed forces or representatives of clubs subordinate to law enforcement agencies and state bodies (in particular, CSCA and Dynamo). These same structures are directly involved in the war against Ukraine.
Statistics from previous Games:
▪ Beijing 2022 – 88% of russia's medals (28 out of 32) were won by representatives of CSCA and Dynamo.
▪ Tokyo 2021 – 63% of medals – CSCA, together with Dynamo – virtually the entire team.
Even in Paris 2024, ‘neutral’ athletes won 5 medals – 1 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze – and russian propaganda presented these results as a ‘success for russian sport’, despite the absence of the flag.
‘Fake neutrality’:
Figure skaters petro gumennyk and adelina petrosyan (admitted to the 2026 Olympics) openly support the russian terrorist army. gumennyk appeared in Soviet military uniform and participated in propaganda shows. petrosyan held master classes at the Summer in moscow festival, which openly supports the war and raises funds for putin's army. 
The formal absence of personal statements does not mean the absence of complicity. russia systematically violates the Olympic Truce (this principle provides for the cessation of hostilities during the Olympic Games) and Olympic values:
▪ 2008 – war against Georgia on the opening day of Beijing.
▪ 2014 – the start of the annexation of Crimea immediately after the end of the Sochi Olympics.
▪ 2022 – full-scale invasion a few days after the end of the Beijing Olympics.
A neutral flag does not prevent the kremlin from using sport for propaganda, legitimising war and ‘whitewashing’ putin's criminal regime. Admitting such athletes is not about sport. It is about normalising aggression and ignoring the victims. As a result of russian aggression, 513 Ukrainian adult athletes and 21 child athletes have been killed.
Ukraine emphasises that any attempts to bring russia (or its accomplices) back to international sporting competitions will only encourage Moscow to continue its terrorist activities in various parts of the world.

On the eve of the opening of the 2026 Olympics, russia is intensifying its terror against Ukrainian civilians. In particular, on 1 February, an enemy drone struck a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia, and in Dnipropetrovsk region, a bus carrying miners, with 15 people known to have been killed. In total, during January, russia launched more than 6,000 strike drones, about 5,500 guided aerial bombs and 158 missiles of various types at Ukraine.
▶ The main targets of the strikes were energy facilities, railways and other civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
▶ moscow's terrorist campaign against Ukrainian civilians is aimed at undermining the stability of Ukrainian society, weakening the economy and forcing Ukraine to make unacceptable concessions.
▶ The aerial terror shows that russia is not interested in a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
▶ It is necessary to increase pressure on the kremlin and support for Ukraine in order to dispel russian illusions about the possibility of achieving its goals by military means.
▶ Ukraine emphasises the need for constant sanctions and political pressure on moscow from the international community.
▶ Systematic attacks, clearly aimed at leaving Ukrainians without electricity, heating and water during severe winter frosts, can be classified as a deliberate attempt to destroy Ukrainians as a national group. 
Therefore, these winter attacks by the russian army can be equated with the crime of genocide. Around 150,000 homes remain without light and heat for long periods of time in temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius. The world must also be prepared to counter russian disinformation attacks during the Olympics. Read about what happened in the summer of 2024 here.
Based on materials from Spravdi.ua