Article by Oana Duşmănescu – Published Thursday, March 12, 2026, 11:50 / Updated Thursday, March 12, 2026 11:54
Team Ukraine has launched a scathing attack on the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the organizers of the Paralympic Winter Games, saying it was subjected to “systematic pressure” to reduce its presence at the Milan Cortina Paralympic Games, the Guardian notes.
The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine formulated 4 specific charges against the IPC and the organizers of Milano Cortina, denouncing the poor treatment of its athletes and a “systematic” attempt to remove the flags from the team's base and stands.
The Ukrainian delegation claims that representatives of the organizing committee of the Games forced the removal of the Ukrainian national flag from inside the Paralympic village. The Ukrainians also allege that para-biathlon gold medalist Oleksandra Kononova was asked to remove her earrings displaying the Ukrainian flag and the message “Stop War” as she prepared to take the podium.
“Everybody in the world today wants to stop the war,” Valerii Sushkevych, president of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, told The Athletic. “This lady, a Paralympic champion, is the mother of two daughters. She wants to stop the war,” he added, calling the IPC's decisions “terrible”.
“There is an incomprehensible partnership with those from Russia and Belarus”
Another allegation concerns the family of cross-country skier Taras Rad, whose Ukrainian flags were allegedly confiscated as they watched him compete. Finally, the Ukrainians state that the team's tactical meetings were constantly disrupted by members of the IPC and OCOG.
“The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine and the National Paralympic Team of Ukraine, its athletes and coaches have been subjected to systematic pressure from representatives of the International Paralympic Committee and the Organizing Committee of the Games. There are systemic and unprecedented manifestations of pressure from IPC representatives on the Ukrainian team. Obviously, the impression is created of an incomprehensible and very special partnership of the IPC with the National Paralympic Committees of Russia and Belarus“.
In response, the Milan-Cortina organizing committee said the flag in the Olympic village was removed because it was in a common area, and Rad's family flag had text on it whose “meaning could not be verified by arena security. The committee remains committed to providing a respectful and welcoming environment for all participants, including athletes and spectators.”
An explanation came from a spokesman for IPC chiefs: “A member of staff spoke to the athlete, told her that the earrings would most likely be against our rules and asked, 'Can you remove them?' violates the rules. In advance of these Games, we have clearly communicated the additional regulations regarding demonstrations to all participating nations.”
Six Russian athletes, as well as four Belarusian athletes, are competing at these Games because they received “bipartite” invitations, a kind of automatic qualification, officially confirmed less than two weeks before the start of the Paralympic Games, for certain high-level athletes.
10 medalswon Ukraine won at these Paralympic Games, including three gold
