The gradual return of Russian athletes to international sporting competitions has triggered fury in Ukraine, which accuses prominent organizations of glossing over Moscow’s war crimes.

In recent weeks, the International Judo Federation welcomed Russian grapplers back to competition without restrictions, while the International Olympic Committee recommended that junior Russian athletes once again be allowed take part in events under their national flag. The EU denounced both moves, after sports organizations spent years freezing out Russian competitors because of the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine.

Matvii Bidnyi, Ukraine’s sports minister, on Thursday described his disappointment that Russia is being reintegrated despite President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing full-scale invasion.  

“We continue our struggle for condemnation of the Russian aggression through sport,” Bidnyi told POLITICO from his office in Kyiv. “And now, of course, we see this attempt to whitewash the aggressor in sports arenas. They claim that sport should be separate from politics, but it’s an illusion, because Russia is the [primary] country who uses sport as a propaganda arena.”

Sports have indeed been an effective soft power tool for the Kremlin for decades, used to project national strength and legitimacy on the global stage. From hosting mega events like the Sochi Winter Olympics or the FIFA World Cup to embedding athletes within military and security structures, Moscow has repeatedly blurred the lines between competition and state propaganda.

In light of that history, the Ukrainian minister said he was puzzled by hints from IOC President Kirsty Coventry — including at an event in Brussels last month — that Russian athletes shouldn’t be held responsible for the actions of their government.  

“Kirsty Coventry has not previously made radical statements that would indicate [an] intention to lift restrictions on Russians. But this last decision about the youth teams looks quite controversial,” Bidnyi said. “We respect the right of every IOC member to hold their own position, but at the same time this position must be based not on political convenience, but on principles of the Olympic Charter.”

Despite Russia’s ongoing invasion, Ukraine’s athletes are training hard for the Winter Olympics in February, Bidnyi said, while coping with late-night missile strikes that affect their sleep and the psychological burden of having family members fighting on the battlefield or living in front-line cities.

Those athletes, Bidnyi said, embody the tenacity that has enabled Ukraine to fend off one of the world’s most intimidating militaries.

“We show our resilience, we show our will to win, we have our independence. We fight with the biggest country in the world who tries to assault us,” he said.

“And our [Olympic] team, it’s a part of our success. And after four years of this unjust war, the opportunity to have our national team, our own flag, I think it’s a big success,” he added. “It’s a great demonstration of our will to win, of our resilience.”