Russian and Belarusian Paralympians were not allowed to compete at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy. This was reported by UNN with reference to the International Paralympic Committee.
Details
The International Paralympic Committee decided to lift the partial suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes, which was introduced after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
This decision meant that Paralympians from both countries could freely participate in the Paralympic Games. However, this would be subject to their qualification for participation according to the rules of international federations of individual sports.
In response, Ukraine called this decision shameful and stated that the International Paralympic Committee had "lost the last remnants of conscience."
At the same time, the final decision on admitting athletes to qualifying competitions remained with the International Federations of the respective sport. Thus, the federations of biathlon, skiing and snowboarding, as well as the para-ice hockey federation, confirmed that Russian and Belarusian athletes will not participate in next year's Games.
Recall
Earlier, UNN, citing the GUR, reported that Russian and Belarusian athletes who visited the occupied territories of Ukraine continue to participate in international competitions under neutral status.