The International Paralympic Committee has allocated 10 spots for athletes from Russia and Belarus.
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Published February 20, 2026
Ukraine’s athletes will boycott the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Games in Verona on March 6 after some athletes from Russia and Belarus were allowed to participate under the national flag, the committee announced.
The International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) allocation of 10 spots combined for athletes from Russia and Belarus has sparked political turmoil over the upcoming Games, given the resentment over the invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
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Russia, which has been shut out of many international competitions by the war, says it is wrong to confuse sports and politics and that targeting athletes with disabilities is offensive.
“The community of Ukrainian Paralympians and the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine are outraged by the cynical decision of the International Paralympic Committee to award bilateral quota places to Russia and Belarus,” the Ukrainian committee said in a statement on Friday, announcing a boycott of the ceremony and demanding that the national flag not be used at the ceremony.
The stance follows the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladislav Heraskevich from the Winter Olympics for wearing a helmet commemorating athletes killed in the war.
Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matvy Bidniy said Ukrainian authorities would boycott the Paralympic Games, which will be held from March 6 to 15, although the country’s athletes will continue to participate.
An IPC spokesperson told Reuters it was in contact with Ukraine’s Paralympic Committee and said the matter would be considered internally.
Russia won two spots in para-alpine skiing, two spots in cross-country skiing and two spots in snowboarding, while Belarus got four spots, all in cross-country skiing.
“We draw attention to the fact that neither Russia nor Belarus (sic) have gone through the qualification procedure to qualify for the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Games,” the Ukrainian statement added, condemning the “terrible military aggression against Ukrainian territory.”
In 2014, Ukraine sent only one athlete out of its 23-member Olympic team to the opening ceremony of the Sochi Paralympic Games to protest Russia’s occupation of the Crimean Peninsula.
“It’s very offensive to the IPC to have people who support this war come to the competition and have them carry the national flag, because under the same flag they are killing Ukrainians,” skeleton athlete Heraskevich told Reuters, calling the protests necessary.
