Estonian public broadcaster ERR will also not broadcast the opening or closing ceremonies of the Paralympics on any of its channels.

Along with Estonia, the delegations of Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Canada, Australia, and several other countries are also staying away from the opening ceremony.

Estonian Paralympic Committee (EPK) officials will also not attend any official IPC receptions.

"We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian delegation and people and will not participate in the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina, similar to our closest neighbors and many other countries. In the current situation, it was not possible to make any other decision. We clearly and unequivocally condemn the participation of aggressor countries in the Paralympic Games," said EPK President Monika Haukanõmm.

Estonia will be represented at the Winter Paralympics in Milano Cortina by mixed wheelchair curling pair Ain Villau and Kätlin Riidebach.

Athletes from aggressor countries are not allowed to compete in wheelchair curling, para-cross-country skiing or para-ice hockey events.

ERR's television channels will not broadcast live coverage of either the opening or closing ceremonies of the Winter Paralympic Games.

"Russia and Belarus are countries engaged in war crimes, and we cannot normalize the integration of aggressor countries in any form while the full-scale war in Ukraine continues," explained Rivo Saarna, head of ERR's sports editorial department.

Finland's YLE, Latvia's LSM and Lithuania's LRT have also chosen not to broadcast the opening or closing ceremonies of the games for the same reasons as ERR.

ERR will bring viewers a total of twelve live broadcasts from the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina.

In addition to the wheelchair curling, which gets underway on Wednesday, the biathlon and sledge hockey finals will also be shown live on ERR's channels.

---

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!