# Russian volleyball participation in international events

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/russian-volleyball-participation-in-international-events
> Updated: 2026-08-17T13:28:36.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) announced that the Russian men’s and women’s national teams will rejoin the 2027 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), ending a suspension that began in 2022. To accommodate this return, the tournament will expand from 18 to 19 teams per gender, also providing slots for Finland’s men’s team and Slovenia’s women’s team.

Despite the return to the VNL, the Russian Volleyball Federation has officially notified the FIVB of its voluntary withdrawal from the 2027 Men’s Volleyball World Championship in Poland. The federation cited a lack of security guarantees for its athletes as the primary reason. While player Sergey Savin noted that the team might face “potential provocations,” commentator Dmitry Guberniev suggested the decision is actually driven by entry restrictions facing Russian citizens in Poland and other European nations.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-17: Russia withdraws from 2027 Volleyball World Championship in Poland

The Russian Volleyball Federation has withdrawn from the 2027 Men's Volleyball World Championship in Poland, citing security concerns for its athletes.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/russia-withdraws-from-2027-volleyball-world-championship-in-poland

### 2026-08-04: Russia to rejoin 2027 Volleyball Nations League

FIVB confirmed Russia’s men’s and women’s teams will compete in the 2027 VNL, prompting a one‑team expansion that also includes Finland (men) and Slovenia (women). Russia will skip the 2027 Men’s World Champs,

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/russias-mens-and-womens-volleyball-teams-cleared-for-2027-vnl

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Cite as: Russian volleyball participation in international events. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/russian-volleyball-participation-in-international-events