Appointments to Advisory Committees were made by the IBSF Executive Committee last month with an excess of 100 applicants coming forward from more than 30 National Federations.

Among them was Sergej Parkhomenko, who was selected for the IBSF Para Sport Committee and the IBSF Special Committee Calendar.

The decision, insidethegames understands, has caused a series of officials to resign from the two bodies in opposition.

Latvia's Kristaps Kotāns - the chair of the IBSF Parasport Committee and was due to represent the global federation on the eight-member body - has withdrawn from his role alongside Ian Richardson of Britain.

The IBSF has confirmed to insidethegames six of the nine Committee members have resigned from their post.

In segments of a letter to IBSF President Ivo Ferriani and each of the resigned members of the Parasport Committee, Kotāns rebuked the IBSF for allowing Parkhomenko to participate as the war in Ukraine rages on.

"The International Olympic Committee has responded to this global condemnation, and it is inexplicable that the IBSF does not do the same," Kotāns wrote.

"Those who claim that the actions of the Russian Government should not be attributed to individual representatives of Olympic sports organisations are completely naïve.

"There is no difference between international sports and the propaganda machine of the Russian Government.

"Even the Russian representative assigned to the Parasport Committee is a current member of the Russian Army.

"This situation is completely unacceptable to us, and we have collectively and individually agreed to withdraw from the Parasport Committee and will not cooperate with Russian representatives as long as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues."

Meanwhile, Zintis Ekmanis, Kotāns' compatriot, was expected to serve on the IBSF Special Committee Calendar, which considers all matters regarding schedule planning.

However, he has also resigned with Britain's Marc Heywood in protest at Parkhomenko's presence.

"The entire civilised world condemns the atrocities committed by the aggressor in Ukraine and actively engages in the fight against this degradation of human values," he said.

"Therefore, I believe that it is impossible to be in the same committee with the captain of the Russian Army of the aggressor state."

The Latvian Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation told Ferriani in a letter that the country will not take part in IBSF Advisory Committees where Russian representatives are present.

Latvian sports authorities have a strict stance on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, including legislation being enacted to prevent the Latvian Olympic Unit, the body which oversees funding for athletes from the state budget, providing funds to athletes who hold dual Russian citizenship.

Latvia shares a land border with Russia as well as its military ally Belarus.

The IBSF has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from its events, but its Congress allowed the Bobsleigh Federation of Russia to maintain its membership.

The IBSF told insidethegames it "strongly condemns any kind of war or violence" but  insisted it is a "politically neutral international non-governmental sports organization and therefore may not be part of any political discussion".

"In the past, the IBSF has acted swiftly if its integrity is harmed or threatened and will do so in the future – but always within its remit," the federation continued.

"During this year´s Congress our members used the possibility to discuss and decide on the status of the Russian Federation.

"The result of the discussion was straight forward: while we must suspend the Russian athletes and officials from participating in the IBSF competitions, we did not suspend the Russian Federation's membership for the reason to keep an open dialogue.

"It is our belief that this is in line with the mission of the sports community which ought to build bridges between countries, religions and communities. 

"Therefore, the IBSF Executive Committee decided to re-appoint Sergey Parkhomenko in the Para Sport Committee in which he served and was well accepted for the past Olympic cycle."