The GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine in the “Champions of Terror” section of the War&Sanctions portal publish data on ten Russian and Belarusian athletes who visit the TOT of Ukraine, participate in propaganda events and, despite this, receive neutral status and continue to participate in international competitions.
Points of attention
- Public exposure of Russian athletes' propaganda activities has significant implications on political decisions and international sports organizations' responses.
- The disclosure of facts and public publicity regarding athletes promoting war propaganda can lead to real consequences, such as athletes being barred from competing in international events.
- The “Champions of Terror” section on the War&Sanctions portal sheds light on 177 athletes actively involved in promoting war propaganda, showcasing the extent of the issue.
DIU published data on 10 more Russian athletes-propagandists
Today's update includes:
Elena Kirillova (Nadel) is the so-called acting “Minister of Sports of the Kherson region”, curator of the federal program of joint sports gatherings and trainings of athletes from the TOT of Ukraine with Russian athletes based on the federal center “Krymsky”. She organizes propaganda sports events aimed at integrating the population of the occupied territories into the Russian cultural space and supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Alsou Minazova is a Russian slalom racer, a participant in propaganda campaigns with the participation of representatives of the Russian authorities. In 2025, she took part in the Australian and Oceania Open Rowing Slalom Championships, having received neutral status from the International Canoe Federation.
Alina Garnasko is a Belarusian rhythmic gymnast, a participant in the propaganda festival “Time of Our Victories”, held on behalf of the self-proclaimed President of Belarus Lukashenko. In 2025, she performed at numerous international competitions, including in Bulgaria, Germany and Portugal as a “neutral athlete”.
Yana Sotieva, Regina Shaydullina and Anastasia Romanova are Russian weightlifters who participated in training camps in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and were declared members of the Russian national team for the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships. After an official appeal from Ukraine, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) did not allow these athletes, as well as ten other representatives of Russia and Belarus, to compete.
This example confirms that the disclosure of facts and public publicity have a real impact on the Kremlin's cronies.
The “Champions of Terror” section of the War&Sanctions portal already contains information about 177 athletes and functionaries involved in war propaganda.
