Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has praised the resilience and determination of the country’s athletes as they prepare to compete in the Paris Olympics despite the ongoing Russian invasion.
Due to the conflict, now in its third year, Ukraine is fielding its smallest-ever Olympic team for a summer Games.
“We are proud of our team — the men and women who, despite this war of aggression, managed to prepare for the Olympics and show the spirit of all Ukrainians,” Zelensky shared on social media. “They embody our will to win and the Ukrainian character.”
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky, noted on social media that the war has claimed the lives of 487 Ukrainian athletes.
Despite the disrupted preparations, with some athletes leaving Ukraine, others killed, and training facilities destroyed since Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, Ukraine is still sending a 143-strong team to Paris.
