In response to UEFA readmitting Russia's youth squad to international play, the Ukrainian Football Association said on Wednesday that its teams would boycott all events featuring Russian teams.

The statement read, "The UAF confirms that it will not participate in any competitions featuring Russian teams."

It also urged other UEFA members to abstain from attending games involving Russian teams.

In reaction to Moscow's incursion in Ukraine, the governing body of European football promptly banned all Russian teams from events last year. However, the suspension was subsequently relaxed by the readmission of Russia's national under-17 squad on Tuesday.


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"The Ukrainian Association of Football strongly condemns the decision by UEFA to return U-17 teams from Russia to international competitions," the UAF said in a statement late Tuesday.

"The UAF confirms that it will not take part in any competitions involving Russian teams," it said.

In its announcement of the decision, UEFA said that a "generation of minors" was being denied the opportunity to compete and that kids shouldn't be held accountable for the choices made by grownups.


However, it stated that Russian teams would not be permitted to play on Russian soil and that using the nation's flag anthem and playing uniform would be prohibited.

Ukraine has vowed to boycott the 2024 Paris Olympics if Russian and Belarusian athletes compete and has frequently demanded that Russia be barred entirely from international sporting competitions.