The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has released new information about six more Russian athletes who publicly support the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine. According to intelligence, these individuals are involved in information and psychological operations, endorse the Kremlin’s aggressive policies, and continue to participate in international sports competitions.
This is reported by Kyiv24
New Figures on the List: Who Are They
The list includes:
- Yana Yegoryan – a fencer, lieutenant in the armed forces of the Russian Federation, representing the CSKA club, which is subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense. She is an ambassador for the “Healthy Homeland” movement, which operates, among other places, in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
- Alina Zagitova – a figure skater and television presenter, participated in the voting for amendments to the Russian Constitution that allowed Vladimir Putin to remain in power, visited occupied Crimea, and publicly supported Putin’s participation in the 2024 presidential elections.
- Klyment Kolesnikov – a swimmer, senior physical training instructor for the sports team of the Central District of the National Guard of Russia, holds a military rank.
- Yevgeny Baidусов – a Greco-Roman wrestler, participant in the 2023 CIS Games and the 2025 European Wrestling Championship, member of the Russian national team. He has repeatedly used the Z-symbol, which is associated with the invasion of Ukraine, visited occupied Crimea, and stated that he considers it part of Russia.
- Aram Grigoryan – a judoka, member of the Russian national team and the Dynamo sports club, known for its connections to state security agencies. He participated in fundraising for Russian military formations.
- Illya Burov – a freestyler, member of the Russian Olympic team, instructor for the CSKA sports company in Sevastopol. He openly uses pro-Russian symbols, publicly supports Russian policies, and calls to “protect the Russian-speaking population.”
Demands of the Ukrainian Side to the International Community
According to intelligence, all mentioned athletes remain part of international competitions despite their direct connections to Russian armed formations and participation in propaganda campaigns.
“The GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Youth and Sports call on the international sports community to take decisive action: to completely exclude athletes from the aggressor country from international competitions (including neutral status), to expel them from international federations, and to cease any cooperation with representatives of Russia,” the agency states.
In October last year, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Minister of Youth and Sports Matviy Bidny made a joint statement that Russia’s return to the international sports environment is unacceptable. This position was voiced in response to statements by IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. regarding the future of Russian sports.