Ukraine preparing to sanction Russians who "put sport at service of war" – Zelenskyy

Reported Facts

Observable data points shared across all narratives

•Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree imposing personal sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for aiding Russia's war against Ukraine.
•Ukraine imposed personal sanctions on at least ten Russian athletes following a petition initiated by Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych.
•Among those sanctioned by Ukraine is Arkady Dvorkovich, a Russian sports official and former high-ranking government figure.
•Ukrainian officials have announced they will boycott the upcoming Paralympic Games in response to the decision to allow participation of some Russian athletes.
•Ukraine's sports minister publicly criticized the Paralympic organizers for permitting Russian athletes to compete under certain conditions.
•Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is preparing to sanction Russians who, in his words, "put sport at service of war."
•Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov responded to questions about sanctions against Lukashenko by referring them back to Ukraine as the initiator of the measures.
•Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova publicly condemned Zelenskyy for what she described as an obscene outburst directed at Russians.

Narrative Split

How different information blocks interpret these facts

REGIONAL

Ukraine weaponizes sanctions in sport

Regional coverage emphasizes Ukraine’s use of targeted sanctions and international sports boycotts as instruments of wartime policy. It presents Kyiv as holding specific Russian and Belarusian figures responsible for supporting or enabling the invasion, with the motivation of deterring others from aligning sport with military narratives and of rallying international institutions to tighten restrictions on Russian participation. The expected outcome is a broader coalition of states and sports bodies adopting similar measures, further isolating Russia and Belarus in international competitions.

•Ukrainian authorities identify individual Russian athletes and officials for sanctions based on perceived public support for the war or institutional roles linked to the Russian state.
•Kyiv’s decision to boycott the Paralympics is presented as leverage to pressure international sports organizations to reconsider or toughen their stance on Russian participation.
•Regional outlets highlight that sanctions against Lukashenko are explicitly tied to Belarus’s role in facilitating Russia’s military operations against Ukraine.
•Ukraine’s leadership signals that additional Russians who "put sport at service of war" may face future sanctions, indicating a broader campaign.
•These sources suggest that Ukraine aims to set a precedent for linking sports eligibility and access to international events with positions on the war.

WEST

Sanctions defend sport integrity

Western-aligned outlets frame Ukraine’s sanctions and Paralympic boycott as a defensive response to Russia’s use of sport as a propaganda tool in the context of the war. They attribute responsibility to Russian and Belarusian leadership for instrumentalizing athletes and sports structures to legitimize the invasion, and argue that exclusion and sanctions are needed to uphold international norms and pressure Moscow and Minsk. They predict that sustained political and sporting isolation will increase costs for Russia and its allies while signaling solidarity with Ukraine.

•Western and Ukrainian officials view Russian and Belarusian athletes and sports officials who publicly support the war as contributing to Kremlin propaganda efforts.
•Ukraine’s sanctions against Lukashenko, Dvorkovich, and Russian athletes are portrayed as targeted measures aimed at individuals who align sport with Russia’s military objectives.

Politicized anti-Russian discrimination

Russian outlets frame Ukraine’s sanctions and boycott threats as politically motivated attacks on Russians and their allies rather than legitimate security measures. They attribute responsibility to Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian leadership, portraying them as driven by hostility toward Russia and willing to undermine the apolitical nature of sport. They predict that such steps will deepen divisions, harm international sporting cooperation, and reinforce Russian narratives of external discrimination and Russophobia.

•Russian media depict Zelenskyy’s sanctions against Lukashenko and Russian athletes as illegitimate interference in the personal and professional lives of foreign citizens.
•They present Ukraine’s rhetoric about Russians "putting sport at service of war" as an excuse to exclude Russian participants from international events.

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