Bronze medalist Yaroslava Mahuchikh was involved in emotional scenes after beating beaten by champion Mariya Lasitskene at the Olympic Games, with both athletes grinning, hugging each other and draping themselves in their national colors in the arena.
That provoked an angry response from some viewers, including accusations that the junior sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had brought shame upon her country by posing with the army athlete from CSKA.
“Athletes representing Ukraine at international competitions must understand that the Russian-Ukrainian war is ongoing in Ukraine and it imposes certain restrictions and responsibility,” Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said in a public Facebook post, adding that photos of the pair together had “caused an outrageous reaction in society”.