Ukraine said Wednesday, July 29 that it has appealed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to ease restrictions on Russian athletes and reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), deeming the move premature and a violation of the Olympic Charter. The IOC lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee on July 7, scrapping a range of restrictions imposed on Russian athletes that had been in effect since the earlier phases of Russia’s war against Ukraine, in Oct. 2023.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. On Tuesday, July 28, “the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine filed a Statement of Appeal with Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), requesting that the IOC decision be annulled,” the NOC said in a statement, adding that the lawsuit is an important step “in protecting the principles of the Olympic Charter, international law and the territorial integrity of our state in the international sports environment.” The NOC “will continue to consistently defend the rights of Ukrainian sports, using all legal mechanisms provided,” the statement concluded. Kyiv says ruling ignored war’s context According to AFP, the decision paves the way for Russian athletes to compete in team events and qualifying competitions for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. However, the IOC did not specify whether it will lift the ban on Russia’s flag and anthem. Ukraine’s Olympic Committee said the IOC’s decision contradicted the provisions of the Olympic Charter, essentially failing to “take into account the factual circumstances that served as the basis for the suspensions.”