Russia’s Sporting Comeback Gathers Pace as Its War in Ukraine Grinds On

It’s been over four and a half years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Initially, Belarusian and Russian Olympic groups and sports teams were booted from international competition, although they were allowed to compete under a neutral flag. But financial interests have encouraged sporting organizations to reconsider these restrictions, despite Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Many of the Russian athletes featured on the international stage have voiced support to the Russian military and its war in Ukraine.

To many Ukrainians, there is no good answer as to why Russian athletes should be allowed back into international competitions while Ukrainian cities are bombed daily and innocent civilians are being killed. In places such as Kherson, there is an active “human safari,” where Russian drone operators regularly hunt civilians. Videos of these attacks are often posted online, with children and elderly people among those targeted and killed. Most recently, a Russian strike on a bus in Kramatorsk killed 30 civilians.

According to a BBC investigation, 13 of the athletes who competed under a neutral banner during the 2026 Winter Olympics, have engaged in pro-war activities. In turn, Ukraine asked the International Olympic Committee to reconsider the neutral status of Russian athletes.

British-Ukrainian sports journalist Andrew Todos, founder of Zorya Londonsk, warned that Russia is gradually being welcomed back into international sports.

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“Despite Russia’s 12-year war against Ukraine, and now the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, with no letup in war crimes and killings, Russia is slowly edging back into world sporting competitions,” Todos said.

“A substantial number of sports have even permitted the return of the Russian flag and national colors, starting with the IOC,” he said. “This sets a dangerous precedent. Russia’s rehabilitation in the sporting sphere is happening in real time, despite there being no change in the country’s actions since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.”

In September, Russian hockey star Alexander Ovechkin appeared in a campaign advertisement for Putin-backed United Russia.

“During the summer off season he took part in the filming of a campaign video for Putin’s party United Russia ahead of the parliamentary elections,” said Todos. “When this video was released it created a large backlash amongst Ukrainian adjacent voices on social and traditional media.”

“I’m Russian, and I support my country,” Ovechkin said when asked about his decision to participate. Ovechkin, who has a long history of publicly supporting Putin, also referred to Putin as “my president” following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“Many established hockey journalists were rather timid in their coverage of this subject. The Washington Capitals official statement also left a lot to be desired,” added Todos. “There have been no repercussions for the NHL’s all-time points scorer for supporting Putin and Russia’s war against Ukraine.” At the Washington Capitals’ home opener on Oct. 7, pro-Ukraine demonstrators gathered outside Capital One Arena to protest Ovechkin’s ties to Putin.

At Paris Saint-Germain, Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi plays alongside Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov. Zabarnyi said he supports the complete isolation of Russian football and maintains no relationships with Russians, although he will interact professionally with Safonov as his teammate.

At Louisiana State University, the basketball program recruited Russian player Anna Minaeva while Ukrainian Kate Koval, whose father serves in the Ukrainian military, was already on the team. Coach Kim Mulkey said she hoped the two could become “ambassadors for peace.” Koval left the program afterwards.

In September, FIFA listed a Russian team for its boys’ Under-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan, which marked the first time a Russian team has competed in a FIFA tournament since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. In response, Ukraine called for a boycott. The International Olympic Committee has also withdrawn its recommendation to ban Russian teams, as Russian officials welcomed the decisions.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been advocating for Russia to return to global football, saying, “We have to [look at reinstating Russia], definitely, because this ban has not achieved anything. It has just created ‍more frustration and hatred.”

Restrictions have also loosened across a variety of other sports for both Belarusian and Russian athletes, and in the future, many more restrictions will likely be lifted. Some in Europe understand the danger of this, and nine European nations have asked the European Union to drop financial support for international sports bodies, such as the IOC.

“For me, this is a very painful and unacceptable situation,” said Ukrainian Olympic athlete Yuliya Yelistratova. “I cannot see Russian and Belarusian athletes as simply ordinary competitors when Russia continues its war against Ukraine.”

“This is how Russian soft power in global sport works. It allows those who are open supporters, and even those who remain silent, in tennis, soccer, athletics and beyond, to continue competing in the West and retain support from their own organizations, fans and even some in the media,” Todos said. “This, in turn, normalizes the presence of Russia and Russians in the sporting narratives of those groups as well.”

For the IOC, the justification is that athletes shouldn’t pay the price for the actions of their government. But in Ukraine, hundreds of athletes have been killed in action or in Russian strikes, and they will never compete again. So to many Ukrainians, there is no justification for allowing Belarusian and Russian athletes to compete while Ukrainian athletes continue to die.

“Removing a flag from a uniform does not remove an athlete’s connection to the state,” said Yelistratova. “Many elite Russian athletes are connected to the state sports system, receive its support, or have ties to state or security structures. Their international victories can then be used by Russia to create an image of normality and international prestige.”

She added, “For me, saying ‘I am neutral’ is not enough. I would want to see not simply the absence of a flag, but a real break with the state and its sporting system. A public condemnation of the war, no state funding or ties to state sporting institutions, and an independent life and training outside the Russian system.”

The Kremlin uses international sporting success to improve Russia’s image abroad. Allowing Russian athletes to compete again gives Moscow an opportunity to present itself as a normal participant in international affairs despite its war in Ukraine.

“When I see Russian sports gradually returning to the international stage, I cannot help thinking about the role that money and political influence play in this,” Yelistratova added.

In late September, Russia bombed one of Ukraine’s biggest football stadiums in Kharkiv, as nearly 90 stadiums have been damaged or destroyed since the full-scale invasion. While Russia destroys Ukrainian sporting facilities and kills its athletes, Russian competitors are gradually being allowed to return to international competitions, sometimes under their national flag.

Ukrainians never asked for this war, and they were never given a choice. But allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes back onto the international stage is a choice.