Gutzeit outlined his reasons for maintaining the ban on Russian athletes to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and NOC Presidents from around the world, and revealed he has contacted the new IOC Special Advisory Committee on Human Rights.

It comes with the IOC Executive Board beginning a meeting today where the reinstatement of athletes from Russia and Belarus is the key topic.

The IOC recommended banning both nations following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but has now scaled back its stance and is exploring ways for athletes to compete neutrally.

"Ukraine strongly urges to remain in force the recommendation of the IOC Executive Board of February 28, 2022 to suspend Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in international sports competitions," Gutzeit, also Ukraine's Sports Minister, said.

"Is there any other country in the world that violated the Olympic Truce three times in a row by unleashing the unprovoked war?"

Shortly after the start of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Russia launched an assault on Georgia.

This was followed by attacks on Ukraine between the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and after the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Gutzeit highlighted the number of athletes in Russia who have affiliations to the armed forces.

"Do any of our Olympic teams have so many sergeants, lieutenants and majors of the armed forces?" he said.

Double Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva remains as an IOC member, although she holds a military rank in Russia.

Many other Russian athletes and officials have been seen at rallies in support of the invasion, and gymnast Ivan Kuliak was handed a one year ban after he wore a vest with the "Z" symbol, a show of support to the invasion.

Bach has said that those who have openly supported the war or have worn the Z would be banned, but there remain question marks over those affiliated with the military.

Gutzeit described athletes who had left Russia and Belarus as "real supporters of the Olympic Charter" and asked "what will be their destiny, President Bach?"

He said that the conflict had caused the death of 262 Ukrainian athletes and coaches, and the movement of 40,000 athletes abroad among seven million refugees.

Around 350 sports facilities have been "severely damaged or destroyed", he added.

Every 3rd #Russian athlete at the #OlympicGames2022 in Beijing was a soldier of the Russian army, namely a member of CSKA.

We call the world to #BoycottRussianSport and don't allow war criminals & occupiers to the @Olympics.#RussiaIsATerroristState@iocmedia pic.twitter.com/YXXw3qaQFt

— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) March 28, 2023

"Once again, I am emphasising that many athletes of the Russian Olympic team are members of the armed forces of Russia who are killing Ukrainians and the Russian Olympic Committee fully supports this war," Gutzeit said.

"This is the breach of the Olympic Charter - violators of the Olympic Charter need to be sanctioned by the IOC until the war is stopped."

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin was a high profile visitor to the International Boxing Association Women's World Championships in India earlier this month.

"Why, when the members of the Russian Government are under IOC sanctions, the Russian Sports Minister has meetings with the members of the Olympic Movement in Asia, including NOC Presidents?" Gutzeit said.

He also revealed his concerns about the recommendation of United Nations special rapporteur Alexandra Xanthaki, a lawyer who had written to the IOC to "express serious concern" about a ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus.

"The conclusions of UN special rapporteurs about so-called discrimination of athletes of the aggressor countries are not complete and the IOC's reliance on them is unjustified and has no legal merit," Gutzeit said.

"We need to explore the human rights issues more, taking into account respective legal instruments and using a holistic approach."

Gutzeit also called on the European Olympic Committees (EOC) "to organise a broad discussion in order to elaborate in a democratic and transparent way a common and clear position of the European continent on this issue".

He repeated a request by the Ukraine Athletes' Commission for wider talks with other EOC athletes.