Ukraine's parliament commissions list of Russian athletes who support the war for future sanctions

A working group under the Ukrainian parliament has commissioned the sports news outlet Tribuna.com’s editorial office to compile a list of Russian athletes who have publicly supported Moscow’s war against Ukraine, the website’s founder Dmitry Navosha reported on Friday.

“Athletes (as well as singers, artists, etc.) who allow themselves to be used by totalitarian regimes are also propagandists. They should be held accountable for playing into war and terrorism in this way,” said Navosha.

The news that the Verkhovna Rada would create a working group to oversee the “modernization” of Ukraine’s sports sanctions was first reported on November 24. According to the Polish news outlet Belsat, the group includes Ukrainian officials and deputies as well as representatives from the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation. The foundation’s head, Alexander Opeikin, reported that the group’s goal will be to prevent Russian athletes who support the war from participating in international competitions.

Tribuna.com has already published a list of more than 50 Russian athletes who support the war. It includes former figure skater Evgeni Plushenko, former gymnast Alina Kabaeva, and former boxer Nikolai Valuev.