Karate tournament in support of Intelligence Agency units held in Kyiv

A large-scale karate tournament, the 16th Kyiv Open International Karate Tournament, has been held in Kyiv in support of the active operations units of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

According to the Intelligence Agency website, this is one of the oldest competitions in Ukrainian karate, but it was held for the first time since the start of the full-scale war: on May 2 and 3, 2026, more than 1,200 participants competed for medals in various age groups in the Ukrainian capital. They included decorated world-class athletes, servicemen of Ukraine's Security and Defense Forces, including the Intelligence Agency special forces officers.

"Fighters of the active operations units of military intelligence work at the forefront of our struggle. Physical training is extremely important for them. Strength, endurance, discipline, the ability to take a hit and launch a lightning-fast counterattack are exactly the skills that karate develops," the Intelligence Agency representative Yevheniy Yerin.

The aim of the tournament was to support military intelligence officers fighting against the Russian occupation army.

"The Ukrainian karate team is currently the strongest in Europe... Many of our athletes and coaches serve specifically in the active operations units of the HUR of the Ministry of Defense. Some have given their lives defending us... Therefore, for us it is a matter of honor to support our military, both at this tournament and in general," Head of the organizing committee of the Ukrainian Karate Federation Serhiy Levchuk said.

The organizers of the competition handed over drones and equipment worth about UAH 1 million to Intelligence Agency active operations units. "We are grateful to the entire sports community and the karate family in particular for their systematic support. Today we received FPV drones from partners of the Ukrainian Karate Federation, and tomorrow they will already be used for their intended purpose," an officer of Intelligence Agency Artan special unit and President of the Sports Committee of Ukraine Illia Shevliak said.