While the war of aggression waged by Vladimir Putin's regime against Ukraine continues to cause ever more bombing, destruction, and casualties—including more than 650 elite athletes— the gradual reintegration of Russian athletes into international competitions is steadily progressing , despite the fact that these athletes are generally supporters of the regime. The European Swimming Championships, held in Paris and Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis) from July 31 to August 16, provide a further example of this.

The association "For Ukraine, for their freedom and ours!" alerted the French Swimming Federation (FFN) and the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) on July 17th regarding the presence, within the supposedly "neutral" Russian delegation scheduled to compete in France, of at least two athletes affiliated with the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia). This presence violates the requirements of the European Aquatics Federation, of which the FFN is a member.

Kliment Kolesnikov — a double Olympic medalist in Tokyo and world record holder in the 50m backstroke — is presented by Rosgvardia itself as a member of its sports team (1) . Another swimmer selected for the "neutral" delegation, Maxim Stupin, also appears in open publications as an associate member of the Rosgvardia sports team.

For Ukraine, for their freedom and ours! calls on the FFN and the CNOSF to guarantee that no Russian or Belarusian team, in any form whatsoever, is allowed to compete in Paris and Saint-Denis, and that under no circumstances are the anthems and flags of these two countries used if so-called "neutral individual athletes" were to step onto the podium.

We also proposed to the French Swimming Federation (FFN) that they pay tribute, at a time of their choosing during the competition, to high-level Ukrainian athletes who died for their freedom and ours while fighting Russian aggression: swimmers Kyryl Aleksandrenko, Maxym Kovalenko, Nikita Zasiadko, and Dmytro Zakharchuk, as well as divers Serhii Radchenko and Mykyta Kozubenko. To date, we have unfortunately received no response.

In early July, the training pool in the city of Zaporizhzhia was destroyed by a Russian bombing raid — a further illustration of the regime's relentless attack on Ukrainian sport, while Putin's own athletes continue to be welcomed into international competitions.

Sport has never been neutral ground for Russia (and before it, the USSR). Vladimir Putin and his "sportokatura"—an economic and sporting oligarchy that helped him seize power—have made it an essential element of the regime, both within Russia itself and in its international influence. He effectively transforms all Russian athletes into propagandists . We are under no obligation to offer them a platform—neither them nor Xenia Fedorova.

1 In the official magazine of the Russian National Guard, he is described as " senior instructor of the sports team of the Central District Directorate of the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia), Rosgvardia soldier ." More recently, on the website rosguard.gov.ru , he is listed as " military member of the sports team of the Central District Directorate of the Russian National Guard ."