Ukraine has filed a formal complaint with the ethics committee of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) in response to the recent decision to lift the ban on Russian competitors in international motorsport events.

The Ukrainian Automobile Federation (FAU) is seeking an urgent investigation into its Russian counterpart, the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF). This ban had been in place since February 2022, when Russia commenced its invasion of Ukraine.

The FIA world council approved the lifting of the ban, which was reportedly proposed by FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem. The FAU alleges that the RAF has established and continues to operate offices in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, specifically Crimea, Sevastopol, and the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts. These areas are recognized by the United Nations as sovereign Ukrainian territory.

The FAU argues that these actions violate FIA statutes and its international sporting code, which stipulate that only one automobile club per country is permitted. FAU president Oleksandr Feldman stated:

"This is a clear breach of the FIA statutes by the Russian Automobile Federation, which, as an FIA member organization, is bound to comply with them."

The Ukrainian federation urges FIA leadership to take immediate action to close these offices and impose sanctions on the RAF for its conduct. Notably, Boris Rotenberg, head of the RAF, is subject to international sanctions from the US, UK, EU, and other allied jurisdictions due to the aggression against Ukraine.

The decision to lift the ban parallels a similar action taken by the International Olympic Association. Following amendments to the FIA statutes last year, the ethics committee operates under the direction of Ben Sulayem and Carmello Sanz de Barros, president of the senate. The FIA has been approached for comment regarding this situation.