&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Ukraine to boycott Paralympic opening ceremony over Russian flag return")
Ukraine's Paralympic athletes decided to boycott the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Games in Italy next month to protest the International Paralympic Committee(IPC)'s decision to allow Russian athletes to compete under their national flag, Ukraine's National Paralympic Committee has said.
"The Ukrainian Paralympic team and the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine are boycotting the opening ceremony of the 14th Winter Paralympic Games and demand that the Ukrainian flag not be used at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics-2026!" the committee said in a statement.
Ukraine's statement comes after the IPC decided to allow six Russians and four Belarusians to take part under their national flags at the Milan-Cortina games. This marks the first time the Russian flag has been permitted at a Paralympic event since 2014.
Russian and Belarusian athletes were restricted from using their national symbols, such as the flag and playing the national anthem, during the medal ceremony since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022. However, the athletes were permitted to compete as neutral athletes inthe 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
Ukraine's Sports Minister Matviy Bidny described the IPC decision as "outrageous" and accused Russia and Belarus of turning "sport into a tool of war, lies, and contempt."
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Several Eurpean countries, such as Poland, Lithuania and the United Kingdom, came in support of Ukraine's decision. Lithuania's Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė announced on February 19 that Lithuania would withhold its official presence from the Games’ premiere in solidarity with Kyiv.
The host Italy expressed its disapproval, whilst Glenn Micallef, the EU Commissioner for Sport, said he would boycott the ceremony.
For over a decade, Russia has been stripped of its national identity in global sports, moving from doping-related sanctions to geopolitical bans. Since 2014, athletes have competed under various neutral titles like OAR, ROC, and currently AIN (Individual Neutral Athlete) for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
