Injured Russian soldiers should be allowed to compete at Games, Paralympic chief says
Injured Russian soldiers who fought against Ukraine should be allowed to compete in future Paralympic Games, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons told the BBC on March 6.
"It doesn't matter to us what they have done in the past in the combat field," Parsons said. "Crimes of war are something different, but what we offer with the movement is a second chance."
Russia has largely relied on lucrative military contracts to recruit soldiers for the war in Ukraine, with most agreements signed voluntarily. The government has offered high salaries and financial incentives to attract recruits willing to fight against Ukraine.
The comments came as the Winter Paralympic Games opened in Italy, an event boycotted by Ukraine and six other teams in protest against the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
The stance follows a decision by the International Paralympic Committee last year to lift the suspension of Russia and Belarus, allowing their athletes to return to competition under national flags.
This means the Russian flag could appear at a Paralympic Games for the first time since 2014.
"When the general assembly took the decision to lift the suspensions of Russia and Belarus, the decision was to treat them like any other National Paralympic Committee," Parsons said.
"There are many countries that recruit athletes from the armed forces, so if Russia does that, they won't be the only one. Our movement started after World War II, specifically with injured military personnel. So what the Paralympic movement offers is possibility after war."
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in 2022, led to the suspension of both Russia and Belarus from Paralympic competition shortly before the Winter Paralympics in Beijing.
Belarus has been widely seen as Moscow's key ally in the war.
At the time, the IPC said the suspension was not imposed solely because of the invasion but because Paralympic sport was being used to promote the military campaign, which violated the rules.
An investigation by Poland-based media outlet Vot Tak found that soldiers injured in the war are increasingly recruited into Russia's Paralympic sports system. At least 70 participants in Russia's invasion of Ukraine have already joined national Paralympic teams.
