(Prague) The Czech government announced on Wednesday evening that it is now banning all athletes representing Russia from participating in local competitions, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Prague thus prohibits “the participation of individual athletes and sports teams representing the Russian Federation in sports competitions and games held on Czech soil,” according to a statement.

At the same time, athletes and teams representing the Czech Republic should not participate in competitions held in Russia, under this decision taken at the request of Czech sports associations.

The current ban applies to all sports and all athletes competing under the Russian and Czech flags respectively.

The government did not specify whether this decision also affected Belarusian athletes.

The Czech Olympic Committee said earlier this year that it was against Russian and Belarusian athletes participating in the 2024 Olympics in Paris under a neutral flag.

A member of the EU and NATO, 10.8 million people strong, the Czech Republic has provided Ukraine with substantial military and humanitarian aid since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.