Ukraine cheered at Winter Paralympics opening ceremony as Russia return

• Ukraine received a warm welcome at the Winter Paralympics opening ceremony on Friday night.
• The nation’s team and officials opted to boycott the ceremony in protest at the decision to allow Russian athletes to compete under their own national flag.
• However, when Ukraine’s name was read out at the parade and volunteers came out, there was a loud cheer from the crowd in Italy.
• Six other nations also boycotted the opening ceremony to show solidarity with Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
• Six Russian athletes are due to compete at the Paralympics, while four slots have also been handed to Belarusian athletes.