The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed whether Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian athletes are able to interact at Milan-Cortina venues despite seven nations already confirming that they will boycott the events’ opening ceremony to protest the flags of Russia and Belarus flying at the Games.
For the first time since Sochi 2014, the Russian flag will be flown at an Olympic and Paralympic event.
Russian athletes were initially suspended from competing under the nation’s flag due to state-sponsored doping before a second suspension came into effect following the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with several global sporting organisations – including the IOC, FIFA and UEFA – banning Russia from competition.
Neighbouring Belarus has also been banned since 2022, as it is seen as an ally of Russia and the Kremlin.
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But at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympic Games, six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will be able to compete under their nations' flags after a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding, sports which are not governed by the IPC.
The individual governing bodies for the sports, including the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), have not lifted their bans.
However, Russia and Belarus are able to compete after winning an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against FIS’s stance in the winter of 2025.
The decision has been met with backlash as seven nations – the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine – have confirmed that they will not be sending delegations to the Games’ opening ceremony in Verona, Italy, on Friday (6 March).
The UK government also confirmed, on Thursday (5 March), that it will boycott the opening ceremony, joining the protest.
A spokesperson said: “Russian and Belarusian states should not be represented in international sport while the barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine is ongoing. Therefore, no Government Ministers or officials will attend the Opening or Closing Ceremonies of the Paralympics.”
So how does this impact the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian athletes who are set to compete, and is any protocol in place to prevent them from interacting in venues or the athlete village?
SPORTbible contacted the IPC in relation to this and received the following response:
“The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Villages are spaces that embody the values of unity, inclusion and the spirit of the Paralympic Movement.
“The villages offer all nations the opportunity to live and interact together in a shared and inclusive environment.
“Like all Games venues, the villages operate under comprehensive security and safety measures, including controlled access, 24/7 surveillance and the presence of specialised security personnel on site, ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for all.”
The Games will run from 6–15 March, with 56 countries expected to take part.
Topics: Paralympics, Russia, Ukraine
Luke Davies