Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be able to compete at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said Thursday, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine for which Belarus has been key staging area. The decision comes a day after the IPC gave athletes from the two countries the green light to participate as neutrals, saying that the governing body had followed its rules and that "athletes were not the aggressors"."
Following a specially convened meeting, the IPC Governing Board has decided to refuse the athlete entries from the RPC and NPC Belarus for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games," the IPC said in a statement. Thursday's verdict was condemned by various sporting bodies, with many urging the IPC to reverse its decision. The 71-member Russian contingent is already in Beijing for the Games, which kick off on Friday. Russia reported its military casualties for the first time since the invasion began last week, saying nearly 500 of its troops have been killed and almost 1,600 wounded. Ukraine, however, claimed that over 7,000 Russian servicemen have been killed since last Thursday. It did not disclose its own military losses but said more than 2,000 civilians have died.