Ukraine bans all Russian competition

Ukraine's sports minister has signed an order banning Ukrainian athletes from participating in any sporting competitions in neighbouring Russia.

Ukrainian Youth and Sports Minister Ihor Zhdanov has signed an order prohibiting all Ukrainian athletes from participating in any sports competition in Russia.

"Ukrainian athletes will not take part in any competitions that take place in the territory of the Russian Federation," Zhdanov said in a statement on his Facebook page, which included a photo of the order.

Relations between Ukraine and neighbouring Russia have fallen to an all-time low in recent years as Russia supports a separatist rebellion in Ukraine's two easternmost regions, both of which border Russia.

"Competitions in Russia are simply dangerous for our athletes, considering the internal and external policies of that state," Zhdanov said.

He called for international sports federations not to allow competitions in Russia, where there is "systematic neglect of international sports legislation and violations of the code of the World Anti-Doping Agency."

Bilateral relations plummeted four years ago when Ukraine ousted its pro-Russian president amid mass protests calling for closer ties with the West.

Russia responded to the ouster by annexing Ukraine's southern Crimea region - site of a major Russian naval base on the Black Sea - and supporting separatist groups in Ukraine's east.

More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict between the Ukrainian military and separatist groups, according to estimates by the United Nations.


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Source: AAP



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