MOSCOW, September 14 – Russian high jumper Elena Kulichenko, now representing Cyprus, spoke about her relationship with Ukrainian athlete Yaroslava Maguchikh.

On August 27, Maguchikh won the high jump at the World Championships in Budapest with a score of 2.01 m. At the end of the competition, the athlete went to the stands to celebrate her victory. Maguchikh’s coach Tatyana Stepanova, who was on the podium, shouted the nationalist slogan “glory to Ukraine,” to which the athlete responded “glory to the heroes.” The episode was included in the official broadcast of the competition.

“Glory to Ukraine” is the slogan of the “Ukrainian Insurgent Army”*. The glorification of the UPA and its leaders – Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych – causes criticism from many veterans of the Great Patriotic War and politicians who accuse Bandera of collaborating with the Nazis.

* An extremist organization banned in Russia.