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International Modern Pentathlon Union lifts sanctions against Russia — sports chief

The International Olympic Committee earlier recommended lifting restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes in all international tournaments

Russian Sport Minister Mikhail Degtyarev Yevgeny Messman/TASS

Russian Sport Minister Mikhail Degtyarev

© Yevgeny Messman/TASS

MOSCOW, July 9. /TASS/. The International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) has lifted all previously-imposed sanctions against Russia, Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev said on Thursday.

"It was only yesterday, when the International Volleyball Federation [FIVB] returned our teams to international competitions. While today, about half an hour ago, the International Modern Pentathlon Union lifted all sanctions against Russian athletes. This process will continue," Degtyarev told journalists.

In late January, the UIPM Executive Board allowed Russian youth pentathletes to compete in international tournaments under the national flag and to the tune of the country’s anthem.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a decision on July 7 to provisionally lift an earlier-imposed suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and also recommended lifting restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes in all international tournaments.

IOC previously-imposed sanctions against Russia, Belarus

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to prohibit athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

In late March, 2023, the IOC recommended allowing individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sports tournaments, but only under specific conditions. Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.

On October 12, 2023, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) until further notice after the Russian organization included the Olympic councils of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions as its members.

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Alexander Stepanov added that the technology transfer implies setting up costly production lines

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