Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Vadim Gutzeit spoke about his attitude to the removal of Russian athletes from international competitions.

In particular, he commented on the statement by Sergei Bubka that he supported the decision of the IOC to return Russian judokas to tournaments..

" This is not true, Sergei Bubka did not support this decision. You have no idea how much he does to support Ukraine in the international arena and to help Ukraine," shore.

The minister also noted that before the start of a full-scale invasion, he and all Ukrainian athletes supported the fact that sport should be out of politics.. However, on February 24 everything changed..

" The IOC has always adhered to the principle of the Olympic Charter " We have always lived and worked like this, but not in today's realities. If our civilians, women, children, our soldiers are killed, then sport is no longer out of politics. There is no more sports outside of politics. Sports in politics!

When it is over, then we will return to this question (will sport remain out of politics - ed.. For now, the most important thing is to win.. But of course, when the war is over, then step by step the Russians will start returning to international competitions,"

Recall that the leader and captain of the Ukrainian national volleyball team Oleg Plotnitsky commented on the removal of Russian athletes from competitions due to the fact that their country made a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.