The Ukrainian national team will not participate in the nineth stage of the Biathlon World Cup in Tyumen (Russia), Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports Ihor Zhdanov said after meeting with president of the Ukrainian Biathlon Federation Volodymyr Brynzak.

"Today I've met with president of the Biathlon Federation of Ukraine Volodymyr Brynzak and discussed the situation around the last stage of the World Cup in biathlon. ... The joint decision has been made - the Ukrainian team will not participate in the ninth stage of the World Cup in Tyumen," the minister wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.

At the same Zhdanov stressed that the state has no right to interfere in the activities of sports federations as separate public organizations, but "all rules have exceptions." "After all, we are talking about an aggressor country, a country that systematically neglects international law, including in the field of sports, does not comply with anti-doping rules," he added.

Earlier Zhdanov called on the Federation of Biathlon of Ukraine to boycott the World Cup in Tyumen.

The Biathlon World Cup will be held in Tyumen on March 22-25.