It’s been over four and a half years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Initially, Belarusian and Russian Olympic groups and sports teams were booted from international competition, although they were allowed to compete under a neutral flag. But money and financial interests are a gravitational force, often attractive enough for organizations to want to pull them back in, regardless of the morality behind it. In any case, many of the Russian athletes featured on the international stage have voiced support to the Russian military and its war in Ukraine.
To many Ukrainians, there is no good answer as to why Russian athletes should be allowed back into international competitions while Ukrainian cities are bombed daily and innocent civilians are being killed. In places such as Kherson, there is an active “human safari,” where Russian drone operators regularly hunt civilians. Videos of these attacks are often posted online, with children and elderly people among those targeted and killed.
According to a BBC investigation, 13 of the athletes who competed under a neutral banner, have engaged in pro-war activities. In turn, Ukraine asked the International Olympic Committee to reconsider the neutral status of Russian athletes.
