The timing of the International Olympic Committee’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian athletes was “particularly cynical”, Ukraine’s sports minister has told AFP. The IOC on Tuesday opened the way for Russian athletes to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics even though Russian forces remain on Ukrainian territory more than four years after they invaded.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Since February 2022, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians, including several hundred athletes and coaches, have been killed. The IOC’s decision will allow Russian athletes – albeit under strict conditions – to compete in team events and qualifying competitions for the Games. Justifying its decision, the IOC said athletes’ participation in international competition “should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict”. Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi said the IOC’s decision was both wrong and insensitive because it came the day after missile and drone strikes killed 26 people in Kyiv and Vyshneve, just outside the capital. “By easing these restrictions, the IOC is effectively playing into the hands of a bloody aggressor,” Bidnyi told AFP on Thursday. “What makes this decision particularly cynical is its timing. It was adopted on the day of mourning in Kyiv, right after a massive, devastating missile strike, that had claimed many innocent lives.”