Ukraine is preparing a protest and will appeal the decision to disqualify Olha Kharlan

At the same time, it is out of the question to return the athlete to these competitions.

This was stated by the President of the Ukrainian Fencing Federation, Mykhailo Ilyashev.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, called on the International Fencing Federation to restore Olha Kharlan's rights and allow her to compete

"Anna Smirnova lost a fair competition and decided to play dirty with a handshake. This is exactly how the Russian army acts on the battlefield. Olha Kharlan won a fair competition and proved herself worthy," Kuleba wrote.

Anna Smirnova is competing under a neutral status. Accordingly, she cannot speak out in support of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and cannot receive financial rewards from the state apparatuses of Russia and Belarus. At the same time, she posted photos on her Instagram with her brother, who is a member of the Russian army.