Russia’s Paralympic champion calls aggression against Ukraine “politics” after Moscow commits 190,000 war crimes

Russian skier Varvara Voronchikhina, gold medalist at the 2026 Paralympic Games, has called Russia's war against Ukraine “politics.” She has also refused to answer questions from foreign journalists about Moscow's aggression, Oboz.ua reports.

The 23-year-old athlete from Moscow says she tries to avoid "political topics" and instead focuses on her competitions. According to Voronchikhina, journalists initially ask about the tournament and her trip, but later shift to political subjects, which she declines to discuss.

Enjoying the Italian Paralympic atmosphere

Voronchikhina has emphasized that she wants to appreciate the atmosphere of the Paralympics in Italy without engaging in political debates.

“I want to enjoy this amazing atmosphere in Italy. We trained for this here, and there was no negativity or conflicts. Everyone welcomes us warmly. It’s incredibly pleasant," she said.

Paralympic Committee calls Ukraine's map inappropriate

At this year’s Winter Paralympics, Ukrainian athletes were prohibited from wearing uniforms featuring a map of Ukraine, as per UkrInform. 

President of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, Valery Sushkevych, noted that a ceremonial uniform had been prepared for the team, but the International Paralympic Committee claimed it was “political” and could not be used.

Earlier, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence found that Russia is funneling participants of the war against Ukraine into Paralympic athletes. It has identified the Russian athletes who served in tank crews, infantry troops in Donetsk Oblast, and as battalion armament commanders.

Among them is Vladislav Shinkar, a member of the Russian Paralympic wheelchair fencing team. He previously served as the deputy battalion commander for armaments and the deputy battalion commander for personnel work in the “Vostok” battalion.