The European Handball Federation has responded to a propaganda stunt at the Russian Championship
The European Handball Federation has commented on an incident that occurred during a quarterfinal match of the Russian Championship, where a demonstration in honor of Russian military personnel took place. The organization stated that the use of sporting events for political propaganda is unacceptable.
The European Handball Federation (EHF) responded to a request from Glavkom regarding an event held during a Russian Championship match to honor Russian occupiers.
On April 30, 2026, during the quarterfinal match of the Russian Championship between the teams “Rostov-Don” and “Zvezda,” a propaganda event was held in honor of Russian occupiers undergoing treatment at the district military hospital in Rostov-on-Don.
“The guys got a lot of positive emotions: a spectacular game and a victory by the Rostov handball players, autographs, and souvenir photos with the winning team. I believe it is important to organize such events for our soldiers, because not only medical care but also a positive emotional mood is important for their recovery. I would like to thank Anton Revenko, CEO of the Rostov-Don Group, for his help in organizing the event,” said Vladimir Vlaznev, a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Rostov Region.
Daria Statsenko, a handball player from Kyiv, also joined the propaganda event, participating in a photo session with the occupiers.
“Glavkom” asked the EHF whether holding such events violates the organization’s rules.
“Thank you very much for your email. The Executive Committee of the European Handball Federation has clearly stated that Russian teams cannot participate in competitions organized by the EHF.
However, I cannot comment on matches organized outside the scope of EHF activities,” replied EHF Director of Communications Thomas Schönich.
Earlier, Markevych commented on a possible appointment to the Ukrainian national soccer team.
The Ukrainian Football Association officially announced the end of its collaboration with national team head coach Serhiy Rebrov. The contract was terminated by mutual agreement following the team’s poor performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
As a reminder, the Ukrainian national soccer team dropped in the updated FIFA rankings, falling from 30th to 32nd place.
