Eight countries, including Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands, Canada, and Great Britain, announced they will boycott the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Verona, Italy, due to the Paralympic Committee's decision to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes under their national flags, according to Zhenyok Reports citing Reuters in the 29-minute reporting window from 9:45:19 PM to 10:15:04 PM UTC on February 27, 2026. Canada and Great Britain stated their absence stems from athletes competing in alpine skiing the next day in Cortina, 250 km from Verona, as reported by the same source. The boycott occurs a week before the Games in Milan-Cortina. This development follows prior Ukrainian military advances reported earlier on February 27, including the 95th Brigade capturing two Russian positions after a radio taunt, per the brigade commander on X. The Paralympics boycott aligns with ongoing tensions from Russia's actions, amid separate reports of Ukrainian strikes and diplomatic exchanges like Slovak PM Robert Fico's comments on Zelensky's disinterest in restoring Russian oil transit through Ukraine.
