The Paralympic Committee has responded to the meeting between Russian athletes and the occupying forces
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has refused to recognize the participation of Russian athletes in propaganda events involving war criminals as a violation of the rules.
In response to a request from Glavkom regarding the compliance of such actions with the organization’s charter, the IPC replied that it does not see any signs of a violation of internal regulations.
Roman Grishin, a recipient of the Russian Order of Courage and a reserve captain, took the helm of a key Russian sports organization in September 2025.
During a formal ceremony, the occupier personally presented certificates to Paralympians, sparking a wave of outrage in the Ukrainian sports community due to the overt militarization of sports.
In response to media inquiries regarding the compliance of such actions with the organization’s charter, the IPC gave evasive answers.
Russian athletes participating in the 2026 Paralympic Games held a propaganda meeting with Roman Grishin (director of the "Russian National Team Sports Training Center"), a participant in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Grishin presented them with honorary diplomas. pic.twitter.com/1gm8MhQ9ps— UkrSportBase | Olympics (@Ukrsportbase) March 19, 2026
Director of Public Relations Craig Spence explained that such interactions between athletes and officials are standard practice following major competitions.
“Meetings between athletes/members of national Paralympic committees and politicians/high-ranking officials, as often happens following their achievements at the Games/competitions, do not constitute a violation of the IPC’s constitution or rules,” Craig Spence noted in a comment to Glavkom.
This position by the international body has drawn criticism, as Grishin is not merely an official but a direct participant in the aggression who received his position under Putin’s “Time of Heroes” program.
This effectively legalizes the presence of combatants in the governing bodies of sports with which the IOC interacts.
As a reminder, seven Ukrainians made it into the World Boxing rankings.
Additionally, the Iranian national team has refused to play on U.S. soil during the 2026 World Cup.
