The Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, published data on 21 Russian athletes who represent the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army (CSKA) and the Russian Guard and visited the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Points of attention
- 21 Russian athletes from CSKA and the Russian Guard have been exposed for supporting the war against Ukraine and visiting occupied territories.
- These athletes use sports to spread Russian narratives and influence international competitions.
- The GUR revealed that CSKA athletes actually represent the Armed Forces of an aggressor state, leading to calls for their exclusion from the world sports community.
Supporting the war against Ukraine: DIU published data on 21 Russian athletes
Despite this, they claim to be part of the global sports community and participate in international tournaments and competitions, the GUR noted.
The “Champions of Terror” section of the War&Sanctions portal revealed the data of 21 more potential agents of Russian influence.
In particular, the following were included in the "Champions of Terror" database:
Varvara Prokhorova is an active participant in international competitions of global scale, a member of the Russian national roller skiing team and a member of the CSKA ski mountaineering team, and holds the military rank of ensign of the Russian Armed Forces;
Petr Kotmakov is a Russian short track speed skater, a member of the CSKA sports company, who in October 2025 was admitted by the International Skating Union (ISU) to the selection for the 2026 Olympic Games;
Members of the Russian national bobsleigh and skeleton teams, who are servicemen of sports companies, representatives of CSKA and the Russian Guard, visited temporarily occupied Crimea and are applying to participate in international competitions.
The GUR noted that CSKA on an ongoing basis provides active assistance to military personnel and veterans of the so-called "SVO", purchases and delivers special equipment, FPV drones, generators, etc. to the front, provides military-patriotic education to children and youth from temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine, organizes and holds sports-patriotic events, and promotes the spread of Russian narratives and influence, in particular within the framework of the World War Games project.
CSKA athletes in international competitions actually represent the Armed Forces of an aggressor state. Such Russian athletes should be excluded from the world sports community and banned from participating in international competitions, even in neutral status.
Russia uses international sport as "soft power" abroad to spread its narratives, justify war and war crimes, and legalize occupation.
The State Sports Administration and the Ministry of Youth and Sports continue their systematic work to cleanse world sports of Russian agents of influence.
