Russia and Belarus have marked their return to the Paralympics amid calls for "peace, inclusion, and solidarity" at the 2026 Milan-Cortina opening ceremony.
The Russian flag was flown at the Paralympics for the first time in over a decade, with Ukraine among eight countries to boycott Friday night's (local time) opening ceremony at Verona Arena in protest.
Great Britain, New Zealand, Canada, Israel and France were among 29 of the total 55 participating countries who did not send athletes to the ceremony, due to a tight turnaround with the competition start.
