Ukrainian Paralympic team to boycott opening ceremony in protest against Russia’s return

The Ukrainian Paralympic team has announced it will boycott the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Paralympics in Verona on March 6, following the International Paralympic Committee's decision to allocate 10 combined slots to Russian and Belarusian athletes.

In a statement released on Friday, the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine confirmed its stance, declaring: "The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine declares that 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."

It was announced on Tuesday that Russian athletes will compete under their own flag at the Paralympics for the first time in more than a decade, and the country's national anthem will be played for any gold medalists.

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The announcement stands as another indicator that Russia and its national identity will be fully restored in Olympic circles well ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

In a statement, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said Russia’s National Paralympic Committee had been awarded six slots for the upcoming Milan Cortina Paralympic Games.

It will mark the first time a Russian flag has been flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia. The country's athletes were initially banned because of a state-sponsored doping program, and the sanctions against Russia have continued since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Should a Paralympic athlete win gold, it will be the first time the Russian anthem has been played on the stage of a major global sporting event since the invasion.

Russia’s close ally, Belarus, has also been banned since 2022 but will have four slots at Milan Cortina.

Ukrainian officials had already vowed to boycott the Games in protest, and now the athletes will stay away from the opening ceremony.

Host nation Italy has also urged the IPC to “reconsider” its decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own national flags.