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Ukraine Slams IJF for Letting Russian Athletes Compete Under Flag of War
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukrainian officials have strongly criticized the International Judo Federation (IJF) for allowing Russian athletes to participate in upcoming competitions under the Russian national flag.
The decision, announced shortly before the IJF Grand Slam event in Abu Dhabi scheduled for November 28–30, 2025, triggered an official protest from Ukraine’s foreign and sports ministries as well as its National Olympic Committee (NOC).
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According to a joint statement published by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 27, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Youth and Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi said the decision “demonstrates complete disregard for the reality of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and undermines the moral foundations of international sport.”
The statement emphasized that Russia’s national symbols have become associated with “war, terror, and systemic violations of international law,” citing war crimes, the deportation of children, and attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Ukraine argues that the IJF’s move directly contradicts the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) own guidance. In an official letter to the IOC, the Ukrainian NOC pointed to IOC recommendations issued on March 28, 2023, which explicitly prohibit the use of national symbols by athletes from aggressor states.
“The NOC of Ukraine stresses that such decisions set a dangerous precedent for global sport,” the letter reads. It also notes that Russia continues to target Ukrainian civilians, athletes, and sports infrastructure, which has suffered extensive destruction since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Ukraine urged the IOC to intervene and take appropriate measures to prevent the implementation of the IJF’s decision.
Earlier, a dossier by the Molfar Intelligence Institute identified dozens of Russian athletes competing under a “neutral” status at the 2026 Winter Olympics despite ties to the military, state propaganda, and visits to occupied territories—raising doubts about the IOC’s enforcement of its neutrality policy.
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