While Ukraine is still debating whether to send a team to the Paralympics which are due to start in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday (March 7), Hotsul has made it clear that he intends for his national team to fulfil their obligations in their next-door neighbour country of Poland.

Ukraine, one of whose most famous sporting sons, Sergey Bubka, is a vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and has assembled a team of 20 athletes, including world heptathlon champion Ganna Melnichenko, to compete in the Championships from March 7 until 9.

Russia has entered a team of 38, including world long jump champion Aleksandr Menkov and Olympic high jump gold medallist Ivan Ukhov

An IAAF spokesman told insidethegames today that their Competitions Department was expecting the arrival of the Ukraine athletes.

"They clearly have every intention of coming to Sopot," the spokesman added.

Heptathlete Ganna Melnichenko is among the Ukrainians due in Sopot for the World Indoor Athletics Championships ©Sports Illustrated/Getty Images



In his statement to "colleagues and friends", Hotsul says: "We have always shared the belief that sport has nothing to do with politics, thus at Ukrainian Athletic Federation we have stayed out of promoting any political preferences or being engaged with any political forces in Ukraine.

"But now when there is real threat to the territorial integrity of our country, when citizens' lives are in mortal danger, we cannot remain silent.

"On March 1 the armed forces of Russia have crossed the border of Ukraine under the false pretext of protecting Russian-speaking population, in fact declaring war on Ukraine.

"Even before that, Russian Federation started informational war against Ukraine, spreading false information about current events in Ukraine.

"Currently, armed Russian soldiers are moving across the territory of peaceful Ukraine, blocking activities of state and local Government, transportation and communication as well as activities of life-support enterprises, interfering with the journalists work.

"In this situation, a small spark can cause a fire of international scale.

"One should bear in mind that in Ukraine there are five nuclear power plants, with more than 20 units, including Chernobyl, the main gas pipeline, supplying gas to the whole Europe, huge stockpiles of weapons, chemical, mining and processing of uranium enterprises, huge cascades of water reservoirs and a lot more that can carry a lethal threat to millions of people.

"One should remember Chernobyl catastrophe to understand the possible consequences of armed conflict.

"Ukrainian Athletic Federation, as a part of Ukrainian society, confirms our great desire to preserve the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and cooperates with the new Government of Ukraine.

"In a couple of days we will be visiting the World Athletics Championship in Poland, a country that has a common border with Ukraine,

"We appeal to you to use your influence on the gGovernment of your country and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations] to prevent the escalation of the conflict and maintain peace in Ukraine and worldwide."

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