After being disqualified from the Olympics, skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych plans to raise funds for the families of the fallen Ukrainians painted on his helmet.

MILAN (AP) — Anastasia Kucherova, a Russian living in Milan, voiced her opposition to Russia’s war against Ukraine with a highly symbolic, if at first anonymous, act: Carrying the Ukraine team placard during the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

The five Ukrainian athletes who took part in the Winter Olympics’ opening ceremony in Milan were led out by an Italian-based Russian volunteer who disagrees with her country’s invasion of their neighbour.

Ukraine said Wednesday that its officials will not attend the Winter Paralympics next month over the decision by organizers to allow a handful of Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their

Ukrainian businessman Rinat Akhmetov — the owner of the Shakhtar Donetsk soccer club and the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol — gave the money to Heraskevych from his charity foundation. The amount is equal to what the country’s Olympic gold medalists would get.

Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina for wearing a memorial helmet honoring Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed since the Russian invasion

The International Olympic Committee said that the helmet wouldn’t be allowed in competition, citing a rule against making political statements

Full list released of 20+ fallen Ukrainian athletes from Vladyslav Heraskevych’s banned Olympic helmet, documenting

While "AIN" may appear as a country code at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, it doesn't actually represent a nation at all.

The decision allowing Russia and Belarus to rejoin competition drew outrage in Ukraine and Europe following the disqualification last week of a Ukrainian skeleton athlete.