Ukraine’s sports minister on Wednesday urged the country’s athletes to avoid Russians at the upcoming Olympics in Beijing, amid fears that Russia might invade its ex-Soviet neighbour.
Kyiv and Moscow have been at loggerheads since Moscow annexed Crimea and backed a separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine in 2014, starting a conflict that has claimed more than 13,000 lives.
Tensions peaked after Western governments accused Moscow of amassing over 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s border in recent months and warned it could be planning an attack.
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