Ukraine officials to boycott Winter Paralympics in protest over Russia’s participation

Six Russian athletes have been given the green light to compete for their nations at the Winter Paralympics SportOlympicsParalympicsUkraine officials to boycott Winter Paralympics in protest over Russia’s participationSix Russian athletes have been given the green light to compete for their nations at the Winter ParalympicsKarolos Grohmann Wednesday 18 February 2026 12:56 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoveropen image in galleryRussia is set to have athletes competing at the Paralympics for the first time since 2014 (Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreUkrainian officials are poised to boycott the upcoming Milano Cortina Paralympics next month, protesting the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes competing under their national flags. Ukraine's Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi confirmed on Wednesday that while Ukrainian athletes will still take part in the 6-15 March Games, no official representatives from Ukraine will attend the opening ceremony or any other event. This stance comes after the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision on Tuesday, which cleared a combined total of 10 para-athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete. Six slots have been handed to Russia, alongside four for Belarus.It will mark the first time a Russian flag has been flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia. The country's athletes were initially banned because of a state-sponsored doping program, and the sanctions against Russia have continued since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Should a Paralympic athlete win gold, it will be the first time the Russian anthem has been played on the stage of a major global sporting event since the invasion.open image in galleryUkrainian officials are set to boycott the Winter Paralympics (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)The IPC statement read: “The IPC can confirm that NPC Russia has been awarded a total of six slots: two in Para alpine skiing (one male, one female), two in Para cross-country skiing (one male, one female), and two in Para snowboard (both male),” the statement said.“NPC Belarus has been awarded four slots in total, all in cross-country skiing (one male and three female).”IPC President Andrew Parsons claimed in in November that there would be no athletes from those countries at the Milan Cortina Games because the sports’ governing bodies had maintained their bans.The following month, an appeal from Russia saw the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturn a blanket ban imposed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation — paving the way for Russians to compete as neutral athletes at the 2026 Olympics, and with their own flag and anthem at the Paralympics.Tuesday's announcement stands as another indicator that Russia and its national identity will be fully restored in Olympic circles well ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.More aboutathletesUkraineProtestRussiaJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next