The Russian Olympic Committee Has Effectively Recognized Crimea As Ukrainian
- 10.07.2026, 8:28
Z-bloggers are outraged.
Pro-war bloggers accused the head of the Russian Olympic Committee and Minister of Sports Mikhail Degtyarev of treason because the ROC removed references to the occupied Ukrainian territories — the “DPR,” “LPR,” Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as Crimea. This change was a condition for the lifting of sanctions by the International Olympic Committee, which temporarily reinstated the ROC’s membership on July 7, according to The Moscow Times.
“The Russian Olympic Committee has renounced part of the country’s territory so it can party in style at the Olympics,” wrote propagandist Dmitry Steshin. Z-blogger Yuri Lindre claimed that the ROC “recognized Ukraine’s sporting jurisdiction over regions enshrined in the Russian Constitution.” Another pro-war author, Kirill Fedorov, added: “Russian officials have decided to renounce Russia’s territorial integrity.” “Degtyarev, whose Crimea is it?” the Z-channel Verum Regnum asked the minister.
Degtyarev himself, commenting on the criticism on the “Solovyov Live” program, called the accusations “nonsense, lies, and a provocation” and assured viewers that “we have not renounced any territories.” According to him, the regional Olympic councils consist of “usually two or three activists,” and their dissolution “didn’t particularly upset anyone.” He also explained that the ROC has brought its structure into line with its charter, remaining a union of sports federations, and that its main task is to defend the interests of athletes on the international stage.
The IOC’s decision, however, does not yet guarantee the return of Russian teams to all sports. FIFA and UEFA, for example, have stated that they will analyze the situation before making any decisions—the suspension of Russian soccer clubs and the national team will therefore remain in effect. At the same time, in certain sports, Russian athletes may now be eligible to compete in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, although the IOC will still not hold its events in Russia, and the issue of displaying the flag and playing the national anthem remains unresolved.
The suspension of the ROC, which was imposed in 2023 due to the inclusion of Olympic councils from occupied regions in the committee’s membership, was lifted after the Russian side confirmed in writing that it does not operate in those territories and does not recognize their sports organizations as its own.