Russia will be represented by Putin supporters at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships
Olympic artistic gymnastics champions Angelina Melnikova and Viktoria Listunova, who support the actions of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, have been named to the Russian national team for the World Championships, which will take place October 17–25 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Melnikova and Listunova are known for their support of dictator Vladimir Putin and his war against Ukraine.
In 2022, Listunova, wearing clothing with the letter “Z,” participated in a rally in support of the war alongside Vladimir Putin.
Listunova and Melnikova also shared a post on Instagram calling for donations to support Russian gymnast Kravchenko, whose father—an occupying soldier—was killed by Ukrainian defenders.
As a reminder, Russian sabre fencer Yana Egoryan, who is a serving lieutenant in the Russian Armed Forces and an ambassador for an organization implicated in the abduction of Ukrainian children, arrived in France to participate in the European Fencing Championships.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed decrees No. 979/2025 and No. 980/2025, suspending state scholarship payments to five Ukrainian athletes.
Sofia Liskun, a 23-year-old European diving champion, has obtained Russian citizenship and will now compete for the aggressor state. She has already been expelled from the national team and stripped of all awards she received while competing under the Ukrainian flag.
