European Volleyball Confederation reinstates Russian teams

The European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) has voted to reinstate Russian national teams and clubs into international competitions. The decision was made during a board meeting rather than a full congress, meaning individual national federations did not have the opportunity to vote.

According to Mykhailo Melnyk, President of the Ukrainian Volleyball Federation, the vote among the 18 CEV board members resulted in 15 in favor of reinstatement, one against (Latvian Arturs Vitkovskis), and two abstentions. Melnyk noted that the Ukrainian federation was not consulted prior to the vote.

This move follows a similar decision by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), which announced that Russian players and officials could participate in its competitions, citing changes in the International Olympic Committee's stance. While the Russian men's national team has voluntarily withdrawn from the 2027 World Championships in Poland, Russian teams are expected to return to the Nations League in 2027 and potentially participate in the Champions League and European Championships in the coming years.