Russia cleared to compete at 2027 European Games in Istanbul, minister says
Russian athletes have received permission to compete at the 2027 European Games in Istanbul under their national flag, following their exclusion from the 2023 edition in Poland.
Return to the European Games
Russian athletes have received clearance to participate in the fourth edition of the European Games, which will take place in Istanbul between 16 and 27 June 2027. Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev announced the development during a plenary session titled "State, sport and bookmakers: in search of balance of interests", organized as part of the forum "Gambling: contribution to sport". Degtyarev confirmed that the Russian national team has been cleared for the tournament and that active preparations are currently underway.
Next year we will take part in the European Games in Istanbul. Our national team has received approval to start and is conducting preparations.
Degtyarev also stated that the Russian team will compete under its national flag rather than as neutral athletes. He noted during the session that Russia maintains its membership in the European Olympic Committees. Russian news agency TASS first reported the statements, which were subsequently picked up by international outlets.
Shift from the 2023 exclusion in Poland
The decision differs from the protocols applied during the previous edition of the multi-sport event held in 2023. At the third European Games, hosted in Poland across Kraków and the Małopolska region, Russian and Belarusian competitors were entirely excluded from participation. The European Olympic Committees and the Polish Olympic Committee took the decision to bar athletes from both nations in late 2022 because of the war in Ukraine.
The European Olympic Committees reiterated that stance in January 2023, confirming that competitors from Russia and Belarus would not appear in any events at Kraków-Małopolska. The exclusion applied across all contested medal events during the Polish-hosted games.
- EOC and Polish Olympic Committee bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from 2023 games
- EOC confirms exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from Kraków-Małopolska
- Third European Games take place in Kraków and Małopolska without Russian competitors
- Degtyarev announces Russian national team clearance for Istanbul 2027
- Fourth European Games scheduled to begin in Istanbul
Program and Olympic qualification in Istanbul
The fourth edition of the European Games in Istanbul is set to stage competitions in 26 sports disciplines. Event organizers have aligned most of the scheduled competitions with the international Olympic program. Among the 26 sports disciplines on the Istanbul schedule, 22 disciplines are included in the program for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
The official European Games portal confirmed the 26-discipline lineup for Istanbul. The continental tournament serves as an Olympic qualification pathway for European athletes across multiple Olympic events ahead of the 2028 games in the United States.
Aspirations for hosting future championships
In addition to confirming Russia's entry in Istanbul, Degtyarev raised the prospect of bringing international sports competitions back to Russian soil. He suggested that several world championships and qualifying tournaments could potentially take place in Russia between 2028 and 2030.
Regarding the years 2028, 2029, 2030, there are several "low-hanging fruit" - world championships that can be organized in Russia. Perhaps also qualifying tournaments.
Degtyarev did not specify which world championships or qualifying events might be awarded to Russia or moved to the country. His statements pointed to potential hosting targets across international sports federations in the years following the Istanbul competition.
