MOSCOW, February 25 Ukrainian national biathlon team because of the situation in the country decided to refuse to participate in the remaining stages of the World Cup and the IBU Cup this season, according to the official page of the Ukrainian Biathlon Federation on Facebook. On Thursday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky introduced martial law throughout the country. Ukraine, members of the national team will not participate in any training camps and competitions, including the last stages of the IBU Cup and the World Cup,» the statement said. On Thursday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had decided on a special military operation of the Russian Federation to demilitarize Ukraine. In a televised address to the Russians, he said that the circumstances «require decisive and immediate action from us, the people's republics of Donbass turned to Russia with a request for help.» Earlier, on February 21, Putin signed decrees recognizing the sovereignty of the LPR and DPR. The next stage of the Biathlon World Cup will be held in Finnish Kontiolahti from March 3 to 6. The IBU Cup will take place on the same dates in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
