Russian neutral athletes attended Putin's address: sharp reaction from Merkushina

Ukrainian biathlete Oleksandra Merkushina shared her thoughts on the participation of Russian athletes in the annual event held by Vladimir Putin before the Federal Assembly. In this event in February 2024, Russian speed skater Oleksandra Sayutina and skier Veronika Stepanova participated.

For my friends who believe that Russian athletes are just victims of their government - most support the war and take pride in it. They take pride in their 'government' killing people.

Russian speed skater Sayutina was considered a neutral athlete by the International Skating Union (ISU) and participated in Putin's address to the Federal Assembly. Her presence at this event was recorded on social media.

The Ukrainian athlete expressed her understanding of the situation and noted that most Russian athletes support the war their country is waging and take pride in this fact. Their actions and presence at events confirm their support for the government they represent internationally.

The participation of Russian athletes in the event organized by the Russian president caused outrage and negative comments from the Ukrainian community. The biathlete herself expressed a firm position on the situation and emphasized the importance for every athlete to know true values and not to support war and violence.