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  "path": "/sport/winter-olympics/winter-paralympics-ukraine-boycott-protest-russia",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-18T13:24:31.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
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  "textContent": "\n\n\nUkrainian officials will boycott the Milano Cortina Paralympics next month due to the participation of a small number of Russian and Belarusian athletes, Ukraine's Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi said on Wednesday.\n\nThe athletes have been cleared to compete under their flag.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nUkrainian athletes will still compete in the March 6-15 Paralympic Games.\n\nThe boycott will mean no Ukrainian official will attend the opening ceremony or any other event.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nRussia and Belarus will have a combined 10 para athletes at next month's Paralympics following Tuesday's decision by the International Paralympic Committee.\n\nSix slots have been handed to Russia and four to Belarus.\n\nBidnyi said: \"In response to the outrageous decision to let Russians and Belarusians compete under their national flags, Ukrainian public officials will not attend the Paralympic Games.\n\n\"We will not be present at the opening ceremony. We will not take part in any other official Paralympic events.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHe added: \"We thank every official from the free world who will do the same.\n\n\"We will keep fighting!\"\n\nFollowing the decision by the International Paralympic Committee, the UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport wrote that their participation was the \" completely wrong decision\".\n\nShe said: \"Allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their own flags while the brutal invasion of Ukraine continues sends a terrible message.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nRussia has been banned twice from the games.\n\nThe first came in 2016 over a state doping scheme.\n\nThe second was in 2022 due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.\n\nWhen the IPC members voted to lift the partial suspensions of Russia and Belarus in September, the UK and 32 other countries, mainly in Europe, signed a joint statement expressing \"serious concern\".\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nUkrainian athletes __ were present at the Winter Olympic opening ceremony; however, they displayed signs of protest against Russian participation throughout the competition.\n\nThe Ukrainian team was met with massive cheers and standing ovations from the crowd inside San Siro.\n\nThe most significant protest involved skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, who wore a helmet displaying images of victims of the Russian invasion.\n\nThis led to his disqualification from the competition.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Ukraine officials to boycott Paralympics in protest over Russia's participation"
}