The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has deprived a number of winners and champions of the Olympic, Paralympic, and Deaflympic Games of state scholarships according to decree No. 967/2025.
Among those deprived of scholarships are athlete Serhiy Bubka, sailors Yevhen Brasyavets and Ihor Matviyenko, swimmer Yana Klochkova, swimmer Valeriy Lozik, gymnast Yuriy Yermakov, rower Inna Frolova, and diver Illia Kvasha.
Size of scholarships
- Olympic, Paralympic, and Deaflympic champions - four living minimums;
- silver medalists - 3.5 living minimums;
- bronze medalists - 3 living minimums.
Olympic champion Zhan Beleniuk noted that the size of scholarships is determined by the regulations and is tied to the living minimum for able-bodied persons.
According to him, the scholarship is for life but requires meeting certain conditions, particularly, the inability to obtain a scholarship for those who do not actually reside in Ukraine. This may be an attempt to encourage athletes to return to Ukraine.
'I have no relation to any business in the occupied territories,' said Serhiy Bubka, rejecting accusations of working with temporarily occupied territories.
Deprivation of state scholarships for athletes for violating conditions may encourage them to return to Ukraine and act within the law, deepening sports culture and supporting fair competition.