Russia’s Paralympic movement has long included veterans of military conflicts, with former fighters from wars in Afghanistan, Chechnya, South Ossetia and Syria among athletes and coaches.
But since 2022, the focus has shifted largely to participants in the war against Ukraine, according to the pl.vot-tak.tv website.
The number of veterans transitioning into para-sport has grown steadily in recent years, according to the report.
Around 300 were part of regional para-sport teams in 2024, rising to 500 in 2025 and about 700 by the start of this year.
Russia is set to compete under its national flag, anthem and other symbols at the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games for the first time since 2014, following the restoration of its membership in the International Paralympic Committee.
On February 17, the Russian Paralympic Committee announced the names of six athletes selected by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation from a list of 16 nominees, according to Vot Tak.
They are scheduled to compete in cross-country skiing, para-snowboarding and alpine skiing at the Milan- Cortina Winter Paralympics, which open on Friday.
The decision to allow Russian para-athletes to compete under the national flag sparked criticism from Ukraine and the European Union.
Ukraine said its officials would not attend the opening ceremony or other official events during the Games.
“The decision to allow murderers and their accomplices to compete under state flags is disappointing and infuriating,” Ukraine’s youth and sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, wrote on Facebook.
“When the Russian flag is raised in international arenas, it becomes part of Russian propaganda. It sends a signal to the world as if the war were something normal," he added.
The Baltic states and Finland expressed support for Ukraine’s position, saying their representatives were not prepared to stand alongside delegations from countries waging war while the conflict in Ukraine continues.
Similar views have been voiced by officials in Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Canada.
Italy’s government has also criticised the decision by the International Paralympic Committee.
Despite the objections and threats of boycotts, the International Paralympic Committee has said the participation of Russian athletes will not be revoked.
Poland’s public television broadcaster TVP has said it will interrupt its live coverage of the Winter Paralympics opening ceremony when athletes marching under Russian and Belarusian flags come into view.
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.
The Winter Paralympics will run from March 6 to March 15, with the opening ceremony in Verona.