Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the flag bearer of the national team, Vladyslav Heraskevych, for a powerful gesture of remembrance at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The athlete placed portraits of fallen colleagues on his equipment, which became a loud reminder of the aggressor's war crimes against Ukrainian sports. This was reported by the President of Ukraine on his Telegram channel, writes UNN.
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The helmet of the Ukrainian skeleton racer depicts the faces of athletes whose lives were cut short by the Russian invasion.
On his helmet are portraits of our athletes killed by Russia. Figure skater Dmytro Sharpar, who died in battles near Bakhmut, 19-year-old biathlete Yevhen Malyshev, who was killed by the occupiers near Kharkiv, and other our athletes whose lives were taken by the Russian war.
The President emphasized that such actions are critically important for conveying the truth to a global audience.
The Head of State separately emphasized that honoring the memory of the fallen cannot be considered a violation of sports rules or a purely political gesture. According to Zelenskyy: "This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate, or called a 'political action at sports competitions.' It is a reminder to the whole world of what modern Russia is." Ukraine views this act as part of its mission to protect Olympic values.
The mission of the Olympic movement in times of war
The President emphasized that the actions of the Ukrainian flag bearer reflect the true essence of Olympism, which lies in the pursuit of peace and the preservation of human life. While Ukrainian athletes are forced to fight and die at the front, such reminders become an integral part of the country's presence in international arenas.
Zelenskyy summarized that Ukraine remains true to the historical mission of sports, while the aggressor's actions completely contradict it.
This is what reminds everyone of the global role of sports and the historical mission of the Olympic movement as such - all this is about peace and for life. Ukraine is true to this. Russia proves the opposite.