The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has released the names of 15 Russian athletes who, despite openly supporting the war and serving in Russian security forces, are seeking to participate in international competitions, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate.
On the War&Sanctions portal, in the section “Champions of Terror,” information was published about active servicemen of the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardiya), members of the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army (CSKA), and Dynamo, who visited temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and effectively represent the Russian armed forces in sports arenas.
“Rosgvardiya units are directly engaged in combat operations against Ukraine, while CSKA consistently provides Russian units fighting in Ukraine with specialized equipment, FPV drones, and generators, conducts militarized ‘training’ of youth, and promotes war narratives abroad. The Dynamo sports clubs have traditionally been linked to Russia’s internal affairs and state security agencies,” the Main Intelligence Directorate noted.
Among the disclosed individuals are:
- Aleksandra Sayutina, Darya Nepraeva, Savely Korostelyov — Russian athletes and members of national teams who visited temporarily occupied Crimea and received invitations from the International Olympic Committee to the 2026 Olympic Games;
- Andriy Kanchelskis — head coach of the Bryansk football club Dynamo, who organizes sports events in the occupied territories of Ukraine;
- Yuriy Borodavko and other Russian national team skiers — active servicemen of Rosgvardiya, representatives of CSKA and Dynamo, involved in visits to Crimea.
“Russia systematically uses international sport as a tool of ‘soft power’—to spread propaganda, justify unprovoked aggression, and legitimize occupation. Therefore, these ‘athletes’ have no place in global sport and should be barred from international competitions, even under a ‘neutral’ status,” the Main Intelligence Directorate emphasized.
