The Ukrainian national team will not participate in the Youth World Judo Championship in Portugal due to the inclusion of Russian athletes in the tournament under neutral status.

According to Mykhailo Koshlyak, the president of the Judo Federation of Ukraine, one of the Russian participants allowed into the competition is an active-duty military serviceman. Koshlyak expressed his concerns, stating that while judo promotes respect for opponents and encourages this on the tatami, in the current context, such respect seems impossible.

Koshlyak also emphasized that the concept of "neutral" athletes appears questionable, as the international community generally recognizes that athletes from a country involved in a conflict in the heart of Europe are seeking "neutrality" as a guise.