As Ukrainian athletes prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics, they will seek to boost the morale of their compatriots in Ukraine amid an ongoing war and a brutal winter.

Some individual athletes from the banned countries will be permitted to participate in the Milano Cortina Winter Games

Ukraine’s Winter Olympics flag bearer Vladyslav Heraskevych says that his teammates could stage protests at the Milan Cortina Games over the decision to allow neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in Italy.

Italy announced on Wednesday that it had successfully stopped a wave of cyberattacks aimed at disrupting the 2026 Winter Olympics. The attacks struck just hours before the opening ceremony in Milan. They highlighted the growing threat of cyber incidents at major international sporting events.

The 2026 Winter Olympics are bringing thousands of athletes from around the world together for more than two weeks of competition — and the Games are a gold mine for statistics.

The U.N. and IOC are asking for a pause in wars, an ancient Olympic tradition, amid the Winter Games. Athletes from countries beset by violence are set to compete.

• Kicking off the Winter Olympics: The opening ceremony for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games begins soon (2 p.m. ET), featuring a star-studded cast of performers including Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey. The main ceremony is taking place at Milan’s famed San Siro Stadium.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place on Feb. 6 in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and it will be the first time the Games will be jointly hosted.