TVP announced the decision in a statement on Tuesday, three days before the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics begin on March 6.
The broadcaster said it was reacting to the International Paralympic Committee, the sport’s global governing body, allowing Russian and Belarusian competitors to take part under their national colors.
“We were astonished by the decision,” TVP said, calling it a troubling sign that responsibility for Russia and Belarus for the war in Ukraine was being obscured.
Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Its ally Belarus supports Russia's military action.
TVP said it wants to show Paralympic sport and described coverage of athletes with disabilities as part of its public mission, but added that sport cannot be used to justify violence or human-rights abuses.
Under the plan, TVP said it will stop the broadcast as the ceremony continues whenever the international feed shows athletes representing Russia or Belarus.
The broadcaster said it will replace the live pictures with an on-screen message explaining why it has paused coverage.
TVP also said it will handle medal ceremonies differently if a Russian or Belarusian athlete wins an event in which a Pole takes silver or bronze.
In that scenario, TVP said it would show the medal presentation but end the broadcast before national anthems are played and flags are raised.
The Polish Paralympic Committee backed TVP’s decision. Its head, Łukasz Szeliga, said Poland’s team will not attend the opening ceremony in Italy as a form of protest.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mocked the boycott, saying: “The air will be cleaner.”
The Winter Paralympics will run from March 6 to March 15 in Italy, with the opening ceremony scheduled for Verona.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said last month that allowing Russian and Belarusian competitors to take part under their national symbols at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics was “morally and politically” wrong.
Poland’s sports ministry said in February that its representatives would not attend the opening ceremony after Russian and Belarusian athletes were permitted to compete under their national flags and anthems.
The ministry said participation by athletes from the two countries using their national symbols was "absolutely unacceptable" amid Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine.