Champions of terror

Russia uses sport as a tool of propaganda and to circumvent sanctions
Total number:
123
Individuals
Updated: 02.12.2024
The participation of russian athletes in international competitions is a means of whitewashing russia`s reputation (sportwashing), spreading disinformation, justifying and legitimizing aggression against Ukraine among foreign audiences and demonstrating russia`s continued presence in the civilized world
Russian officials in international sports committees and federations remain a russian lobby and an element of strategic influence outside russia, providing ways to establish international relations and cooperation bypassing sanctions
What needs to be done:
  • suspend russian athletes from international competitions
  • exclude russian sports officials from international organizations
Sport should symbolize peace again
 
 
GABBASOV Ramil Gabdraufovich
GABBASOV Ramil Gabdraufovich
Soviet karate practitioner, President of the International Public Organization "International Federation of All-Style Karate", President of the All-Russian Public Sports Organization "Russian Federation of All-Style Karate"., President of the "Our Fatherland" Foundation for the Development of Citizens' Patriotism
Participant in russia's war against Ukraine, commander of the Soyuz squad created in December 2022 by Sergei Kirienko and Yuri Trutnev on the basis of the russian Union of Martial Arts (RSBI) from professional athletes. As of December 2023, 145 people have joined the squad.
The fighters were trained and harmonized at the russian Special Forces University in Chechnya. Its founder, Daniil Martynov, an aide to Ramzan Kadyrov, is co-chairman of the RSBI. Kirienko, together with co-founder Yuri Trutnev, is personally responsible for providing and personally visiting Donbass to transfer equipment - drone detection equipment, equipment and outfit, sniper rifles - to the Soyuz detachment.
During the war, the RSBI made purchases from the Moscow arms showroom Arsenal for 139 million rubles, and from the rifle manufacturer Lobaev Arms for 35 million rubles. The RSBI bought optical equipment from the companies Innovative Weapon Technologies (for 19 million rubles) and Navigator (25 million rubles). The russian University of Special Forces in Chechnya received 38 million rubles from the RSBI for training volunteers.
The charitable foundation "Our Fatherland" under Gabbasov's leadership systematically organizes and conducts fundraisers for the needs of servicemen of the russian armed forces, is engaged in socialization and employment of the so-called "veterans of the SMO" and patriotic education of young people, establishes schools for piloting and assembling UAVs.
He was included in the list of putin's proxies for the presidential election in 2024.
Visited the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
TARPISHCHEV Shamil Anvyarovich
TARPISHCHEV Shamil Anvyarovich
Soviet and russian sports functionary, Member of the International Olympic Committee, Member of the Executive Committee of the russian Olympic Committee, Member of the Presidential Council on Physical Culture and Sport, Chairman of the Commission for the elaboration of priority areas of state policy in the field of physical culture and sport, as well as the strategy for the development of sport in russia, Advisor to the Mayor of Moscow on sports, President of the russian Tennis Federation, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the VTB Kremlin Cup international tennis tournament, Master of sports in tennis, Honored coach of the RSFSR and the USSR
He is a member of the commission advising the IOC session and president on strengthening the role of sport and Olympism in society.
Publicly emphasizes the formality of the neutral status of russian athletes at international tournaments, in which athletes of the russian Tennis Federation under his control continue to actively participate.
He lobbied for the admission of russian juniors to participate in the international tennis tournament at Wimbledon (Great Britain) in 2023 and the participation of russian tennis players in the Olympic Games in Paris (France) in 2024.
In 2022, by putin's decree, he was awarded the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II degree for ensuring successful training of athletes who achieved high sports achievements at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and the XVI Paralympic Summer Games in Tokyo (Japan) in 2020.
In 2023, he received a personal birthday greeting from putin.
KREMLEV/LUTFULLOEV Umar Nazarovich
KREMLEV/LUTFULLOEV Umar Nazarovich
Russian and international sports functionary, President of the International Boxing Association (IBA), First Vice-President of the European Boxing Confederation (EUBC) in 2019-2020, Former Secretary General of the russian Boxing Federation, Current member of the Executive Committee of the russian Boxing Federation
Russian businessman and sports functionary close to putin, close friend of the head of putin's security service.
As part of his activities, he establishes cooperation with government agencies of foreign countries. Publicly criticizes the decision to bar russian athletes from international competitions.
In 2023, he was a member of the official russian delegation during the russian president's visit to China.
Since 2016, he has been leading the russian Boxing Federation with the support of the russian Federal Security Service.
In his position as president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), he moved the association's activities to russia, suspended Ukraine from the IBA and made russia's sanctioned Gazprom the sole sponsor of the IBA.
After the IOC revoked the IBA's accreditation in 2019, Kremlev organized international tournaments not recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
In 2020, by putin's decree, he was awarded the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, for his great contribution to the development of physical culture and sports.
In 2020-2023, with the assistance of state structures, he gained significant control over the russian bookmaker market.
YANBORISOV Bulat Akhatovich
YANBORISOV Bulat Akhatovich
Founder and head of the "Silkway Rally" Motorsport Support and Development Association, Former adviser at the State Development Corporation "VEB.rf"
He is the manager and owner of Silkway Rally, an international rally-raid project that uses the GRU leadership as an infrastructure for its residents and to establish political contacts.
Internal documents of Silkway Rally present the company as a "universal platform for people's diplomacy" based on the idea of "soft power of russia" aimed at its rapprochement with China, Iran, Qatar, Afghanistan, Syria, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. in the region by acting as a mediator between Qatar, Iran, and Turkey; influencing Saudi Arabia; influencing Turkey on all issues of interest to russia, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Crimea, and Syria; and providing Taliban proposals (a roadmap to international legitimacy) in exchange for recognizing Crimea as russian territory.
In addition, the rallies are supposed to promote the Siberian Power 2 project of cooperation between Gazprom and China's CNPC to supply russian gas to the PRC.
The Silkway Rally Association is the organizer of the transnational joint project between russia and the PRC, which is held annually on the basis of the russian Government Order No. 599-r dated April 08, 2011. Within the framework of the project, the interaction of executive authorities of all levels of the participating countries is practiced, national management is developed, which allows using the acquired experience and well-functioning communication system to organize large-scale political, economic and humanitarian projects at the interstate level.
In 2021, Yanborisov reported to russian Defense Minister Shoigu on military objectives: the possibility of creating new military and political alliances; increasing russia's military presence in Central Asia and the East in order to "prevent destabilization of the region"; arms control in Central Asia and the East; and the possibility of introducing the products of the russian military-industrial complex to new markets, with which negotiations were held to support the Silkway platform. In particular, the PRC, Turkey and the UAE were discussed.
Bulat Yanborisov carried out the assignment as an agent in the service of the Kremlin, was in constant contact with the officers of the 29155, received an award personally from GRU General Vladimir Alekseev.
Yanborisov was also involved in GRU special operations to apply pulse signals in the radio frequency range on the physical and psychological state of a number of foreign diplomats and intelligence officers - the so-called "Havana syndrome." GRU officers have used the Silkway Rally as a cover for tipping agents, transporting cargo and legalizing work abroad since 2016, and continued to use the rally as a way to enter the PRC since 2017.
Resides in Paris. Owns real estate in Cyprus, a house in Sozopol, Bulgaria, and an apartment in Paris, France.
Given Yanborisov's constant contacts with the GRU, his real estate abroad - an apartment in Paris and a mansion in Sozopol - can be used by the GRU as safe houses. And it is the Silkway Rally that is the occasion for its residents to travel to Central Asia and China.
In 2024, the rally was held along the international route Tomsk (russia) - Ulan Bator (Mongolia).
KIRIENKO/IZRAITEL Sergey Vladilenovich
KIRIENKO/IZRAITEL Sergey Vladilenovich
Founder of the russian Union of Martial Arts (RSBI), Russian statesman, member of the State Duma of the russian Federation, First Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the russian Federation, Political technologist, responsible for Putin's election campaigns in 2018 and 2024, Hero of the russia, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the National Centre "russia"
Under Kiriyenko's leadership, the russian Union of Martial Arts and Combat Sports unites 71 all-russian sports federations and organizations representing various styles and trends of martial arts and combat sports that are most actively developing in the russian Federation. RSBI is a member of the russian Olympic Committee and the international sports organization TAFISA.
The activities of the RSBI are realized, among other things, in holding national and international sports events in the territory of the russian federation, as well as in creating platforms for the exchange of experience between russian sports federations and the international community.
Every year, the RSBI holds hundreds of events, the main purpose of which is to popularize and promote martial arts as the most massive sports movement in russia, which allows solving, among other things, the issues of pre-conscription training of young people.
In December 2022, the Soyuz military detachment was created on the basis of the RSBI, consisting of "international masters of sports, honored masters of sports, first-class masters of sports" who went to war in Ukraine. As of December 2023, 145 people had joined the unit.
The fighters were trained and coached at the russian Special Forces University in Chechnya. Its founder, Danil Martynov, an aide to Ramzan Kadyrov, is the co-chairman of the RSBI. Kiriyenko, along with co-founder Yuriy Trutnev, are personally responsible for the supply and personally visit Donbas to deliver equipment to the Soyuz unit, including drone detection equipment, vehicles and equipment, and sniper rifles.
According to media reports, during the war, the RSBI made RUB 139 million worth of purchases from the Moscow Arsenal arms showroom and RUB 35 million from the rifle manufacturer Lobaev Arms. The RSBI bought optical equipment from Innovative Weapons Technologies (for RUB 19 million) and Navigator (RUB 25 million). The russian University of Special Forces in Chechnya received RUB 38 million from the russian Strategic Missile Systems for training volunteers.
KHORKINA Svetlana Vasilievna
KHORKINA Svetlana Vasilievna
Russian gymnast, Two-time Olympic champion in uneven bars exercises, 9-time world champion, 13-time European champion, Honored master of sports of russia, Member of the State Duma of the russian federation of the fifth convocation from the United russia party, Assistant to the Control Department of the presidential Administration of the russian federation, First Deputy Head of CSKA Moscow, State Counselor of the russian federation, 3rd class, President of the International Association of Artistic Gymnastics Clubs, Vice President of the russian Gymnastics Federation
Supports and justifies russia's war against Ukraine by spreading Kremlin propaganda narratives. She supports рutin's policies and was included in the list of his proxies in the 2024 elections.
Publicly criticizes the decision to ban russian athletes from international competitions.
He has the rank of colonel. He is the first deputy head of the Central Sports Club of the russian Army (CSKA), which is subordinated to the russian Ministry of Defense.
The CSKA provides active assistance to the military and veterans of the so-called "SMO" by purchasing and delivering special equipment, FPV drones, generators and humanitarian supplies to the frontline, conducts military-patriotic education of children and youth, organizes and conducts sports and patriotic events and promotes international cooperation, in particular within the framework of the World War Games project.
It is one of the founders of the All-russian Children's and Youth Military and Patriotic Public Movement "Yunarmiya", which is one of the main mechanisms of militarization and military training of children and youth in russia and in the TOT of Ukraine.
SOROKIN Alexey Leonidovich
SOROKIN Alexey Leonidovich
Former Сhairman of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization "World Friendship Games Organizing Committee" (until 05.07.2024), General Director of the All-russian Public Organization "russian padel federation" and the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization "UEFA Euro 2020 Local Organizational Structure", Deputy Chairman of the State Development Corporation "VEB.rf", Former Director General of the russian Football Union, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the FIFA World Cup russia 2018 and member of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Council
He heads the executive committee of the World Friendship Games, a sporting event launched as a russian alternative to the Olympic Games in response to the restrictions on the participation of russian athletes in the Olympic Games in Paris.
The aim of the project is to demonstrate to the world russia's capabilities in holding sporting events at the highest level and to develop new formats of sports cooperation. The project of the World Friendship Games was presented at the largest forums "russia - CEF", "PMEF", "russia - Africa", "russia - Sports Power", and issues were separately resolved with the ministers of South Africa, China, Brazil and North Korea regarding the participation of athletes from the respective countries in the competitions. It is noted that the invitations are based both on interaction with federations in different countries and on a personal basis. Invitations to participate were sent to some sports federations in Ukraine, with a cynical promise to "ensure their safety."
He is one of the defendants in a corruption scheme, aimed at approving russia's bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
In 2019, he was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree.
War & Sanctions 2024