MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Council has decided not to allow the Russian team to participate in the 2024/2025 championship season, according to a statement.

"The IIHF Council reviewed the current safety risks associated with reincorporating the Russian and the Belarusian National and Club Teams into IIHF Competitions. Based on a thorough analysis, the IIHF Council concluded that it is not yet safe to reincorporate the Russian and Belarusian Teams back into IIHF Competitions. Therefore, Russia and Belarus will not participate in the 2024/2025 IIHF championship season," the statement reads.

"This decision will also apply to the Belarusian team regarding the Final Olympic Qualification Round that will be played in August 2024. As it has been done over the past years, the IIHF Council will continue to monitor the situation, with the latest date to determine if it is safe to reincorporate Russia and Belarus for the 2025/2026 Championship season in May 2025 at the IIHF Council meeting ahead of the IIHF Annual Congress," the IIHF added.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason. The Russian and Belarusian teams did not take part in the 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Championships based on the IIHF’s decision and will not participate in the 2024 World Championship set to be held in the Czech Republic.