Russian men crippled in war are now training for the Paralympics
Soldiers disabled in the war of aggression against Ukraine are aiming for participation in the Paralympic Games.
Despite continued aggression, war crimes and endless suffering inflicted on Ukraine and its population, Russia is about to return to international sports.
After extensive lobbying efforts, Moscow has succeeded in getting a partial return to the Olympics and a full return to the Paralympics.
In September, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) reinstated Russia and Belarus's membership. The decision was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in early December. The path to participation in the Paralympics is now open, although athletes might not have sufficient time to qualify for the upcoming games in Milano and Cortina.
Russia has a countless number of cripplings after its almost four years of war against Ukraine, and the Russian Paralympic Committee is actively seeking to turn some of them into athletes.
According to estimates from Ukrainian authorities, the number of killed and wounded Russian soldiers amount to more than 1,2 million.
Representatives of the Committee are now traveling around the country to hold so-called 'motivational meetings, master classes and Paralympic lessons' in hospitals and rehabilitation centres.
"Since the beginning of the special military operation, the Russian Paralympic Committee has been actively involved in the rehabilitation of soldiers and officers who have been wounded or disabled on the battlefield," the Committee confirms on its social media.
"Today, veterans are actively joining the ranks of athletes, participating in training events, performing well in regional and national competitions, and joining the national teams of the Russian Federation in a number of sports," a statement reads.
According to the Committee, the war veterans are "an integral part of the Russian Paralympic movement."
The Russian Paralympic Committee is closely cooperating with the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Sports.
General Secretary of the Paralympic Committee Andrei Strokin was on site in Moscow as the so-called "Games of Heroes" were organised in Mid-December.
The games were organised by CSKA, the military sport club, and the reported purpose was to support wounded soldiers from the war against Ukraine.
On site at the event were also Minister of Sports Mikhail Degtyarev and Army General and Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov.
According to Yevkurov, the Games of Heroes are "not only a competition, but also a symbol of courage, fortitude and an unshakeable will to live."
Similar kinds of games in various kinds of sports are now held across Russia.
In March, the so-called ‘Defenders of the Fatherland Cup’ in winter sports was organised in the region of Khanti-Mansiisk. War veterans from Murmansk were among the participants, along with more than 300 representatives from 60 regions.
In early December, Deputy Head of the Paralympic Committee Ivan Potekhin participated in a forum titled "Together we will win." The event was organised by by several ultra-patriotic organisations, among them the so-called Defenders of the Fatherland and the Association of Veterans of the Special Military Operation.
At the forum panel discussion Potekhin delivered a report on the "involvement of veterans of the special military operation who were injured and disabled during combat operations in the Paralympic movement, in competitions and upcoming events."
Reportedly, more than 1000 war veterans from 89 Russian regions attended the forum.
The Russian Paralympic Committee has established an award that it brands as 'Hero of Our Time.' It will be awarded for the first time in February 2026 to war veterans that have shown excellence in sports.
The return of the Russians to the Olympics and Paralympics has deeply divided the international sports world.
In a statement from November 12, sports ministers of 33 countries, along with the European Commission, expressed grave concern about the decision to open up Russians.
"We fully respect and recognise the independence and autonomy of sports organisations, and that this was a vote by the IPC membership. We also maintain a strong belief in the unifying spirit of sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements. However, we view this development with serious concern, given that the Russian aggression against Ukraine continues and the Russian and Belarusian breaches of the Olympic Charter remain," the statement reads.
Also athletes express concern. The Athlete Committee in the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF) is against the decision to invite the Russians back to international sports.
"We are against the decision," leader of the Committee Magnus Nedregrotten says to the Barents Observer. He confirms that the issue has been carefully discussed by the athletes and in NIF. At the same time, he emphasises that the Athlete Committee has no plans to take actions against the decision.
