As of today, Russia’s war has killed 489 Ukrainian athletes, said Zhan Beleniuk, Ukrainian deputy and First Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Youth and Sports, according to the Ukrainian Parliament.
While visiting the Paris Olympic Games, Beleniuk presented “The Revived” project dedicated to Ukrainian athletes who became victims of Russian aggression.
“Currently, 489 Ukrainian athletes have been reportedly killed. The Olympics is another important platform that helps convey the truth about the war in Ukraine and the war crimes of the Russian Federation,” said Beléniuk.
The official emphasized the need to use all available opportunities to ensure the world knows the truth about the war in Ukraine.
“People need to know what is happening in our country. It is just as important as the Olympic performances themselves. All Ukrainian athletes in Paris are ambassadors of the state.
Therefore, we are uniting and drawing attention to the issue of Russian aggression. When people know the truth, they will pressure their governments to support Ukraine more actively,” the deputy noted.
He said only 15 Russian and 16 Belarusian athletes are currently participating in the Olympics – a result of a large-scale campaign conducted by Ukraine at various levels to prevent athletes from the aggressor states from competing.
“It is great that Russians have decided to withdraw from many disciplines, such as gymnastics and wrestling federations. At the same time, some Russian athletes were blocked, which stopped them from participating in the competition.
I consider this a positive result. When we started the fight to prevent Russians from participating in the Olympics, we did not even expect such a result. We are fundamentally against the presence of Russian athletes at the Olympic Games,” Beléniuk stressed.
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