PRESS RELEASE : 487 Ukrainian athletes killed following Russia’s invasion honoured in Parliament Square [July 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2024.

Ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, a new display has been unveiled in Parliament Square to honour the lives lost from the Ukrainian sporting community.

• a powerful display honouring the Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion has been unveiled today in Parliament Square
• more than 487 Ukrainian athletes have been killed, with the lives of former and aspiring Olympians, as well as the next generation of sporting talent, cut short
• display comes ahead of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games later this week

Ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, a display has been unveiled in Parliament Square to honour the lives lost from within the Ukrainian sporting community and to highlight the devastating consequences of the war in Ukraine.

Since Russia’s barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the conflict has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent Ukrainians, including 487 athletes. More than 4,000 athletes are still actively supporting the war effort.

Unveiled today in Parliament Square, the new 3D display brings to life the harrowing ‘487’ figure – though the true number is likely to be even higher. Surrounding the display, sporting equipment representing the disciplines of some of the 487 fallen athletes offers a stark reminder of the war’s devastating toll.

With only 140 athletes from Ukraine competing at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, this marks the smallest representation ever in Ukraine’s summer Olympic history.

Among the athletes killed by Russian forces are Oleksandr Pielieshenko, who competed in weightlifting at the Rio 2016 Olympics and died defending his country in May this year. Other casualties include promising young athletes like 11-year-old rhythmic gymnast Kateryna Diachenko, whose life was cut short by a Russian attack on her hometown of Mariupol at the onset of the war on 12 March 2022.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

As the world gathers this summer to celebrate the very best of sporting talent, we must pause to remember the hundreds of Ukrainian athletes who are no longer with us or can no longer take part due to the war.

We are drawing attention to the harrowing real life stories behind the 487 statistic to pay tribute to the fallen athletes as a timely reminder of this government’s iron-clad support for Ukraine and its people. We must support Ukraine’s fight for freedom.

The defence of Europe begins in Ukraine and the outcome is down to our collective will. Now is the time to double down on our support so Ukraine not only wins the war, but can forge the bright and ambitious future that Ukrainians deserve.

Heorhii Tykhyi, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said:

Every Ukrainian athlete at the Olympics represents the Ukrainian will to win, Volia. By acting swiftly and with united efforts, the prospect of a world where Ukrainian athletes and citizens are free from the threats posed by Russia will be a reality.

The display comes just days after the Prime Minister hosted President Zelenskyy at Downing Street last week after the European Political Community summit. President Zelenskyy also met the Defence and Business Secretaries where they discussed the need for more cooperation and the need to boost industrial production for Ukraine.

The UK’s commitment to support Ukraine to resist Russian aggression is iron-clad. The Prime Minister announced his commitment to £3 billion a year of military support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. In total, the UK has committed almost £12.7 billion in military, humanitarian, and economic support for Ukraine since February 2022.

Current and former Olympic athletes and coaches worldwide have also united in solidarity with Ukraine in light of the 487 figure, sharing their hopes for Ukraine to receive the support it needs to win.

This includes Sasha Cohen, former Ukrainian-American Olympic figure skater, Oksana Masters, Ukrainian-American Paralympic athlete, German Biathlete Jens Steinigen and coach Wolfgang Pichler, and former Ukrainian Olympic wrestler Oksana Rakhra.

Sasha Cohen, former Ukrainian-American figure skater, said:

I’ve always believed in the power of sport to unite and inspire. But today, I’m not just speaking as an athlete. I’m speaking as the daughter of a Ukrainian immigrant, my mother, Galina. I’ve grown up with stories of Ukraine, our culture, our people, and their resilience.

Today, I stand in awe of the Ukrainian athletes participating in the Olympics and think of those who we are missing and have been lost to the war. Their courage, strength and determination embodies the spirit of my mother’s homeland and I stand with them in solidarity.

Together, we can show the world the power of unity in sport.