Ukraine appeal IOC decision to reinstate Russia

Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee has launched an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the International Olympic Committee’s decision to provisionally reinstate Russia to its competitions.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in 2023 in response to the war in Ukraine but lifted the ban on 7 July 2026, stating it was “no longer applicable”, external.

That decision opens the door for Russian athletes to compete for their country at the 2028 Olympic Games and is the latest step in the country’s reinstatement to international competition, with the IOC previously recommending in December 2025 that federations readmit Russian and Belarusian Under-23 athletes.

However, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine said the IOC’s decision is “premature” and “violates” the Olympic Charter.

“The position of the NOC of Ukraine is based on the fact that the IOC’s decision was made prematurely and without proper verification of whether the violations – which led to the suspension of the ROC following the appeal by the NOC of Ukraine on October 6, 2023 – had actually been resolved,” an NOC statement said.