The key facts

  • Ukraine's GUR has added Fedor Emelianenko and 44 more combat sports athletes to its registry
  • The list serves as grounds for demands to fully bar these individuals from international competitions
  • Beyond combat sports, Russian footballers, figure skaters and hockey players are also being added to the database

Emelianenko and 44 more athletes added to the GUR registry

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense has added to its registry the Russian fighter and former mixed martial arts world champion Fedor Emelianenko, along with 44 more Russian combat sports athletes. This was reported by RIA Novosti, which Gazeta.Ru cites.

What the list is used for

Ukraine uses this list as official grounds for demands to fully bar the listed individuals from international competitions and to expel them from international sports federations. In addition to MMA fighters and boxers, Russian stars of football, figure skating and hockey are also being added to the database.

Wording of the grounds

According to RIA Novosti, Emelianenko was added to the Ukrainian database for saying that Crimea made the right choice by voting in a referendum to join Russia; he is also accused of supporting the policy of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the military conflict against Ukraine.

Who else is on the registry

Also included in the GUR registry are a deputy of the Bashkortostan parliament and American mixed martial arts fighter Jeffrey Monson, six-time world freestyle wrestling champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion and three-time world champion Zaurbek Sidakov, and multiple European judo champion Natalia Kuzyutina.

Context

Earlier, the State Duma commented on the inclusion of figure skaters Evgeni Plushenko and Alina Zagitova in the GUR database — the corresponding statement was published on the website of the lower house of parliament.