Ukraine Appeals IOC's Decision to Reinstate Russia's ROC

Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) into Olympic competitions. The IOC had suspended the ROC in 2023 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but lifted this suspension on July 7, 2026, claiming the ban was “no longer applicable.” The NOC of Ukraine contends that the IOC's decision was made prematurely and lacked sufficient verification that the violations leading to the ROC's suspension had been resolved.

The NOC referenced a previous CAS ruling in 2024, which upheld the ROC's suspension due to the inclusion of sports organizations from Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. The Ukrainian committee argues that reinstating the ROC's rights without addressing these violations undermines international sports law and sets a dangerous precedent.

Russian and Belarusian athletes competed as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and the 2026 Winter Olympics due to ongoing restrictions.