The President of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, Valeriy Sushkevych, stated that among the Russian athletes who have been granted the right to compete in the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, there are no individuals who participated in the war against Ukraine. According to him, it is physically impossible to qualify for the Paralympics after injuries sustained during combat within two to three years, as preparation for competitions of such a level requires prolonged and diligent training.
This is reported by Kyiv24
No War Veterans Among Russian Paralympians
In an interview, the President of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine emphasized that there cannot be former servicemen among Russian Paralympians who participated in combat against Ukraine. Sushkevych explained that achieving a Paralympic level requires many years of training, and obtaining the necessary results in a short time after an injury is impossible.
“There is not a single individual who participated in the ‘SVO’ (the Russian abbreviation for the war against Ukraine – ed.)… It is impossible to reach the level of Paralympic results within two to three years during a war after sustaining injuries. Because elite sports require a very long and significant effort to achieve the level of Paralympic qualifying results. They could not have participated in the Paralympics a priori, which is why they are not there and could not be,” Sushkevych emphasized.
Ukrainian Paralympians and the Veteran Movement
Among Ukrainian winter Paralympians, there are also no war veterans; however, Sushkevych noted that in summer sports there are already athletes who have participated in combat and achieved high results in international competitions, including at world and European championships. The committee president emphasized that work with the veteran movement is ongoing and will continue in the future.
Sushkevych also criticized the decision of the International Paralympic Committee, which invited athletes from Russia and Belarus to the Paralympics without going through the qualifying stage. According to him, such a practice contradicts the organization’s own rules, as representatives from 36 countries were vying for special invitations.
The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine announced that the Ukrainian team is boycotting the opening ceremony of the XIV Winter Paralympic Games 2026 and demands that the Ukrainian flag not be used during this ceremony.
The committee emphasized that the Ukrainian Paralympic community is outraged by the “cynical decision” of the International Paralympic Committee to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy under their national flags.