After Liking SNS Posts About Russian Invasion... Ukrainian Figure Skater National Team Member 'Expelled'

Figure skater Anastasia Shabotova
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues into its second month and the international community continues to criticize, a Ukrainian figure skating athlete was expelled from the national team for liking a post on social networking service (SNS).

On the 25th (local time), according to local Ukrainian media, the Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation (UFSF) expelled Anastasiia Shabotova from the national team. Shabotova was a member of the Russian national team until 2019 but changed her nationality to Ukraine and then joined the Ukrainian national team.

Shabotova became the center of controversy after liking an Instagram post by Evgeni Plushenko, a former Russian figure skater who supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Plushenko wrote about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, "I am proud to be Russian. This is a necessary operation. The sports communities of both countries are really complicated."

The UFSF strongly condemned Shabotova's actions and imposed a severe penalty of expulsion from the national team. Local media report that Shabotova appears to have left Ukraine following this disciplinary action.