Russia’s conflict in opposition to Ukraine has claimed the lives of 262 Ukrainian athletes and destroyed 363 sports activities services, the nation’s sports activities minister, Vadym Huttsait, stated on Saturday.

Meeting the visiting president of the International Federation of Gymnastics, Morinari Watanabe, Huttsait stated no athletes from Russia needs to be allowed on the Olympics or different sports activities competitions.

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“They all support this war and attend events held in support of this war,” Huttsait stated, in accordance with a transcript on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s web site.

The International Olympic Committee has advisable the gradual return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to worldwide competitors as neutrals. It has not selected their participation within the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Ukraine stated on Friday its athletes won’t be allowed to participate in qualifying occasions for the 2024 Games in the event that they should compete in opposition to Russians, a choice the IOC has criticised.

Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the variety of Ukrainian athletes killed or what number of services have been destroyed.

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In the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, various Ukrainian national-level athletes have taken up arms voluntarily to defend their nation.

Among these killed this 12 months alone have been determine skater Dmytro Sharpar, who died in fight close to Bakhmut, and Volodymyr Androshchuk, a 22-year-old decathlon champion and future Olympic hopeful.