The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, as well as the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, have published data on Russian athletes who, despite supporting the war, are claiming to participate in the 2026 Olympic Games. This was reported by UNN with reference to GUR.
Details
The information is published in the "Champions of Terror" section of the "War&Sanctions" portal.
This refers to more than twenty Russian athletes who represent the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army (CSKA) and Rosgvardia and have visited the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Despite this, they claim to be part of the global sports community and participate in international tournaments and competitions.
These athletes are:
- Prokhorova Varvara Aleksandrovna - an active participant in international world-class competitions, a member of the Russian national roller ski team and a member of the CSKA ski mountaineering team, holds the military rank of ensign of the Russian Armed Forces;
- Kotmakov Pyotr Petrovich - Russian short track speed skater, private of the CSKA sports company, admitted by the International Skating Union (ISU) in October 2025 to qualify for the 2026 Olympic Games;
- members of the Russian national bobsleigh and skeleton teams, who are servicemen of sports companies, representatives of CSKA and Rosgvardia, visited the temporarily occupied Crimea and claim to participate in international competitions.
As noted by the GUR, CSKA constantly provides active assistance to military personnel and veterans of the so-called "SVO", purchases and delivers special equipment, FPV drones, generators, etc. to the front, conducts military-patriotic education of children and youth from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, organizes and conducts sports and patriotic events, promotes the spread of Russian narratives and influence, particularly within the framework of the World Military Games project.
In addition, CSKA athletes at international competitions effectively represent the armed forces of the aggressor state. Such Russian athletes should be excluded from the global sports community and barred from participating in international competitions, even in a neutral status.
Russia uses international sports as "soft power" abroad to spread its narratives, justify war and war crimes, and legitimize occupation