Ukraine protests planned Russian hockey exhibition in Ashdod

Ukraine's embassy in Israel sent a letter to Culture Minister Miki Zohar opposing a hockey game in Ashdod featuring Russian participants, including a sanctioned official, warning it could be used for propaganda.

The Ukrainian embassy in Israel sent an extraordinary letter to Culture Minister Miki Zohar demanding an examination of a festive ice hockey event in Ashdod involving senior Russian officials, fearing it could be exploited for Russian propaganda. At the center of the protest is a Russian figure subject to international sanctions, though the embassy does not claim that their participation violates Israeli law, but rather demands a review of possible legal implications. The letter details five demands for investigation: the identity of organizers and sponsors, funding sources, possible ties to Russian state institutions, the participants' status regarding sanctions, and the political consequences of the event. The Ukrainians fear that Russia will use the event to project an image of international acceptance and erode Moscow's political isolation, especially as Ukraine works to maintain international pressure on Russia.