“Remembrance is not violation”: Ukrainian soldiers respond to IOC ban of portraits of killed Ukrainian athletes on athlete’s helmet

Ukrainian soldiers have supported skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych at the XXV Winter Olympic Games 2026. He planned to honor Ukrainian athletes killed as a result of Russian aggression on his helmet, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports. 

Heraskevych’s first run is scheduled for Thursday, 12 February, preceded by his final training session.

“Remembrance is not a violation,” the General Staff reports.

Ukrainian soldiers support athletes who remind the world of those killed due to Russian aggression.

Photos of the soldiers showing their support for the Olympic team have also been published on the General Staff’s page.

IOC offers to hide faces of those who were killed by Russia's war

Meanwhile, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine has appealed to the IOC to allow Vladyslav to compete in a special “Remembrance Helmet".

The IOC has proposed showing the helmet in the mixed zone, rather than during the race. Heraskevych insists that using the helmet during official runs is legitimate and plans to share proof on social media.

On 10 February, another precedent occurred: an American figure skater honored their parents, with the message displayed directly above the ice rink in Milan.

Russians still bring their flag to the competitions

Among the athletes are figure skaters from Russia and Belarus, who can only compete under a neutral flag. Nevertheless, the IOC’s decision allows representatives of the aggressor country to emerge from international isolation.

Despite the flag ban, during a match between the Czech and USA women’s hockey teams, a Russian flag was displayed on the stands near the Czech team’s bench.

Stadium stewards did not prevent a fan from displaying the Russian symbol despite the IOC's prohibition. In addition to the flag, the fan painted her face in the colors of the Russian flag, Sport.cz reports.

When the women’s Olympic hockey tournament manager tried to remove the flag, a man in a black jacket grabbed it and put it in his pocket, then returned to his seat and continued watching the game.