Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly defended the right of a Ukrainian Winter Olympian to wear a helmet commemorating athletes killed in the war with Russia, after skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned the design at the Games.

Heraskevych, 27, said the IOC prohibited his custom helmet—featuring portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022—from being used in training and competition. He had worn the helmet during a training session in Cortina, Italy, and intended to use it during the Games to keep global attention on the war.

The IOC has not publicly confirmed the reported ban. Heraskevych, who served as Ukraine’s flag bearer, said the decision “simply breaks my heart” and announced he would submit an official request to seek permission to wear the helmet.

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Zelensky backed the athlete in a statement on X, thanking Heraskevych for “reminding the world of the price of our struggle.” The Ukrainian president said the images should not be dismissed as a political gesture, calling them a reminder of “what modern Russia is”.

“This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate or called a ‘political demonstration at a sporting event’,” Zelensky said.

Political demonstrations on medal podiums have been banned under Article 50 of the Olympic Charter since 2021, though athletes are still permitted to express views during press conferences and on social media.

According to Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi, more than 650 athletes and coaches have been killed since the start of the war. Heraskevych has said the portraits on his helmet represent only a fraction of those lost, including Olympians and Youth Olympic medallists such as his former teammate, figure skater Dmytro Sharpar.

Heraskevych led a Ukrainian delegation of 46 athletes at the opening ceremony in Milan last week alongside speed skater Yelyzaveta Sydorko. The skeleton racer is competing at his third Winter Games, as the conflict approaches its fourth year since it began shortly after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

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