Sri Lanka, Feb. 19 -- Ukrainian officials will boycott the Paralympic Winter Games, Kyiv said on Wednesday (Feb 18), after the International Paralympic Committee allowed Russian athletes to compete under their national flag.

Ukraine also urged other countries to shun the opening ceremony in Verona on Mar 6, in part of a growing standoff between Kyiv and international sporting federations four years since Russia's invasion.

Six Russians and four Belarusians will be allowed to take part under their own flags at the Milan-Cortina Paralympics rather than as neutral athletes, the Games' governing body confirmed to AFP on Tuesday.

Russia has been mostly banned from international sport since Moscow invaded Ukraine. The IPC's decision triggere...