Russia's long exile from world sports events is about to end.
In a watershed moment, the Winter Paralympics will feature the country's athletes competing under their national flag at the event for the first time since 2014, despite its ongoing war with Ukraine.
So more than four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour, what lies behind the move? How controversial is it? And could this lead to other attempts by sports bodies to reintegrate Russia? BBC Sport takes a closer look.
What happens when at the Winter Paralympics?
The build-up to the Games threatens to be partly overshadowed by the participation of six athletes from Russia and four from its close ally Belarus. Ukrainian athletes are boycotting Friday's opening ceremony in Verona in protest at the move, along with officials from a host of European nations.
