The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, is releasing data in the "Champions of Terror" section of the War&Sanctions portal regarding 11 russian athletes, coaches, and officials who continue to participate in international competitions despite supporting the war against Ukraine.

These individuals represent the central sports club of the russian army (cska), which is subordinate to the ministry of defence of the aggressor state. This structure systematically supports the occupation forces by providing them with equipment, FPV drones, and other gear, while also promoting the "military-patriotic" upbringing of children and fostering international cooperation, particularly through the World Military Games project.

Consequently, cska athletes performing on the international stage effectively represent the armed forces of the russian federation and serve as a tool for promoting propaganda and legitimizing aggression.

• Among the exposed individuals are:
• • olga zaitseva — a russian biathlete and deputy of the moscow city duma, member of the "yedinaya rossiya" party, who in February 2026 visited temporarily occupied Donetsk, where she held a meeting with the so-called "chairman of the dpr parliament" and the leader of the "shakhtyorskaya diviziya" military group, konstantin kuzmin;
• • yelizaveta ivanova, nikolai yarilovets, yelena krasovskaya, dmitrii fakiryanov, viktoriya meshkova — members of the national climbing team who visited the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) of Ukraine but continue to compete in international events, including under the "neutral" status recognized by the International Federation of Sport Climbing;
• • nikolai monov — coach of the russian national Greco-Roman wrestling team, as well as wrestlers sergei semyonov, sergei yemelin, ali ilyasov, and erzu zakriyev, who represent cska and participated in trips to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

The aggressor state russia systematically uses international sports as a "soft power" tool to promote its own narratives, justify the war, and attempt to legalize the occupation of Ukrainian territories.

Such individuals cannot remain part of the global sporting community. Their participation in international competitions, even under a neutral status, is unacceptable.

The DIU and the Ministry of Youth and Sports continue consistent work to expose and block the influence agents of the aggressor state on the international stage.