- The IJF has restored full flag, anthem, and insignia rights for Russian judokas starting with the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam.
- Ukraine reaction to IJF Russian judo decision includes coordinated protests from its Foreign Ministry, sports ministry, NOC, and Ukrainian Judo Federation.
- Kyiv says the move violates IOC guidance on Russian participation and “sets a dangerous precedent for global sport.”
- EU Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef and other officials have also criticized the International Judo Federation decision.
- The controversy puts judo at odds with most Olympic sports, where Russians remain limited to neutral status.
Inside The Ukraine Reaction To IJF Russian Judo Decision
When the International Judo Federation (IJF) announced that Russian judokas would once again compete under their national flag, anthem, and colors, it immediately turned a Judo World Tour calendar update into a geopolitical flashpoint.
At the heart of the story is Ukraine reaction to IJF Russian judo decision: a coordinated protest not just from the Ukrainian Judo Federation, but from the country’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Olympic Committee (NOC), and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Together, they argue that restoring national symbols for Russian and Belarusian athletes in judo contradicts both the Olympic Charter and existing IOC recommendations on how aggressor states should be treated in sport.
For the IJF, the move is framed as a return to “normal” – a way to depoliticize competition and underline that, in their view, athletes shouldn’t be punished for decisions taken in government offices.
What The International Judo Federation Decision Actually Changed
The International Judo Federation decision was taken by its Executive Committee and announced on 27 November 2025.
From the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam onwards (28–30 November), Russian judokas would no longer be listed as neutral athletes under the IJF flag. Instead, they would walk out under the Russian tricolor, with anthem, emblem, and other state symbols restored.
Nineteen Russian judokas were expected to compete in various weight categories at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi under full national representation.
The federation highlighted Russia’s historic strength on the tatami and its importance to the sport’s competitive depth, presenting the move as a natural step after earlier changes for Belarusian athletes, who had already been cleared to compete under their own flag from June 1, 2025.
The IJF also stressed its broader philosophy in an official statement:
Athletes have no responsibility for the decisions of governments or other national institutions.
– International Judo Federation statement –
On the mat, the impact was immediate. At the very same Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, Ayub Bliev became the first Russian judoka in more than two years to win a title under his national flag, taking gold in the under-60 kg division as the anthem played and the flag was raised.
Why Ukraine Says The Move Breaks Olympic Rules
If the IJF describes the call as a values-driven reset, Ukraine reaction to IJF Russian judo decision paints a very different picture.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, its NOC and the Ukrainian Judo Federation jointly appealed to IJF president Marius Vizer, urging him to reverse the ruling that lets Russian and Belarusian judokas compete under national symbols at international events.
The appeal argues that bringing back those flags “contradicts the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter” and undermines trust in sport governance.
From the diplomatic side, a joint statement from Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and sports ministry went even harder, saying the IJF’s call:
demonstrates complete disregard for the reality of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and undermines the moral foundations of international sport.
– Joint statement by Ukraine’s Foreign and Sports Ministries –
Ukraine also took the fight to Lausanne. In a letter to the IOC, the Ukrainian NOC pointed to IOC guidance issued on March 28, 2023, which explicitly recommended that athletes from aggressor states should not compete under their national flag, anthem or symbols.
That same letter warned that the IJF ruling:
sets a dangerous precedent for global sport.
– National Olympic Committee of Ukraine –
The Judo Federation of Ukraine has called the decision incompatible with “the fundamental values of world sport” and says it will work with state bodies and partners to use every available legal mechanism to stop the implementation of the rule change and protect Ukrainian athletes’ interests.
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Judo, EU Pushback, and Judo World Tour Politics
The first real test of the ruling came at Abu Dhabi Grand Slam judo, where Russian competitors were once again visibly part of the field – national colors back on scoreboards and podiums.
For Ukraine and many of its supporters, that visual shift is exactly what they feared: judo becoming a showcase for flags from countries still engaged in full-scale war.
The Ukraine reaction to IJF Russian judo decision sparked more backlash. EU Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef publicly condemned the move, calling the IJF’s decision to reinstate Russian flag and anthem in competition “regrettable and deeply concerning.”
regrettable and deeply concerning.
– Glenn Micallef, EU Sports Commissioner –
He warned that it risks normalizing the actions of states engaged in aggression, and that it reflects a wider trend where some federations seek competitive normality even as fighting continues.
All of this leaves judo out of step with broader Olympic practice. The Russian Olympic Committee remains suspended by the IOC, and Russian athletes at the 2024 Paris Games – and the upcoming Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics – are limited to competing only as neutral individuals, not under the Russian flag.
In contrast, the IJF now openly lists Russia with full national representation on its website, separating itself from more cautious federations while joining a smaller group, such as the International Boxing Association, that have already gone further in bringing Russian and Belarusian athletes back in from the cold.
What This Means For Judo’s Olympic Cycle Going Forward
For now, Ukraine reaction to IJF Russian judo decision is focused on letters, legal mechanisms and diplomatic pressure.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports, the NOC and the Ukrainian Judo Federation have signalled they expect the wider “judo family” – athletes, national federations and fans – to hold the IJF to what they see as higher moral and governance standards.
How other countries respond will determine whether this remains a political headache or develops into a full-blown split within the sport.
National teams could still choose to skip specific World Tour events where Russian and Belarusian judokas appear under full national symbols, creating uneven competitive fields and complicating Olympic qualification routes.
For the IJF, the gamble is clear: bet that its values-first narrative resonates with enough stakeholders to offset the criticism. In its own framing, reinstating Russian and Belarusian judokas with full symbolism is about unity and the integrity of competition, not geopolitics.
Ukraine and its supporters see exactly the opposite – a federation stepping outside the IOC line and giving a powerful visual platform back to a “flag of war.”
As long as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, every medal ceremony involving Russian and Belarusian judokas will carry more than just ranking points.
Whether the IJF stands firm or is forced into another U-turn may depend on how much traction Ukraine reaction to IJF Russian judo decision gains across the rest of the Olympic movement in the months ahead.
