Kherson "minister of sports" coordinated propaganda at international competitions

Intelligence officers have published a list of athletes who travel to the occupied territories for propaganda. Among them is Yelena Kirillova, the so-called "Minister of Sports of Kherson region" who coordinates these events.

This was reported by the press service of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, published a list of ten Russian and Belarusian athletes who visit the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and participate in propaganda activities in the "Champions of Terror" section of the War & Sanctions portal.

At the same time, they maintain a neutral status and continue to compete in international competitions.

The latest update includes the following individuals:

• Yelena Kirillova (Nadel) - the so-called acting "Minister of Sports of Kherson region", coordinates the federal program of joint sports training camps and trainings for athletes from TOT of Ukraine together with Russian athletes at the Krymsky federal center. It organizes propaganda sports events aimed at integrating the population of the occupied territories into the Russian cultural space and supporting Russia's war against Ukraine.
• Alsou Minazova is a Russian slalom racer who participates in propaganda events with the participation of Russian authorities. In 2025, she competed at the Australian and Oceania Open Slalom Championships, receiving neutral status from the International Canoe Federation.
• Alina Garnasko is a Belarusian rhythmic gymnast who participated in the propaganda festival "Time of Our Victories" organized on behalf of the self-proclaimed President of Belarus Lukashenka. In 2025, she competed in international competitions in Bulgaria, Germany, and Portugal under neutral status.
• Yana Sotieva, Regina Shaidullina and Anastasia Romanova are Russian weightlifters who trained in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and were named to the Russian national team for the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships. After an official appeal from Ukraine, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) did not allow them to compete along with ten other athletes from Russia and Belarus.

The press service noted that these cases demonstrate that the disclosure of facts and public outcry can have a real impact on those who contribute to Russia's aggression.

"Usually in sports, we pay more attention to the results - who won, who got another championship, who got injured or made a funny mistake.

But today, society cannot ignore the changes in attitudes toward Ukraine and its athletes. Intent spoke about three typical moments when sports "outside politics" turned against Ukrainian athletes.

Анна Бальчінос