As Ukrainian athletes prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics, they will seek to boost the morale of their compatriots in Ukraine amid an ongoing war and a brutal winter.

Ukraine’s Winter Olympics flag bearer Vladyslav Heraskevych says that his teammates could stage protests at the Milan Cortina Games over the decision to allow neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in Italy.

Italy announced on Wednesday that it had successfully stopped a wave of cyberattacks aimed at disrupting the 2026 Winter Olympics. The attacks struck just hours before the opening ceremony in Milan. They highlighted the growing threat of cyber incidents at major international sporting events.

Russia and Belarus have been banned from the Olympics, but Russian and Belarussian athletes can still compete. Mark Schofield breaks down how they’ll represent themselves at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Nearly four years after Vladimir Putin launched Europe’s deadliest war since World War II, Russia remains banned by the IOC although individual Russians can compete in the Olympics as