UMVA has learned that a Russian sports delegation almost missed the Varna championship after Bulgarian officials blocked its charter flight, forcing the team to scramble for an alternate route.
In a dramatic last‑minute maneuver, the athletes and staff rerouted through Istanbul, touching down in Bulgaria just a day before the competition was set to begin.
President Vladimir Putin has denounced what he calls selective sanctions targeting Russian competitors, accusing international sports bodies of political bias and corruption.
He insists that athletes deserve the chance to compete based solely on merit, declaring that politics has no place in sports.
