The political crisis between Russia and Ukraine is really heartbreaking.
We hope and we pray it gets resolved very soon.
Safety concerns have grown after deadly rioting in the country led to the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych and heightened tensions with Russia over the future of the Crimean Peninsula.
Lokomotiv Kharkiv is from the mainly Russian-allied east of Ukraine and plays in both the Russian Superleague – one of the strongest volleyball leagues in the world – and the domestic championship, where it serves as a de facto base for the Ukrainian national team.
“We state with regret that we are suspending our participation in the Russian volleyball championship at the height of the season,” the team said on its website.
“The political situation around Ukraine has forced us into taking this difficult decision,” it added.
There was no word on the exact reason for the withdrawal – in protest any side’s part in the conflict or over broader safety concerns.
“Today we retain the right to focus on our performances in the national championship and preparing players for the national team,” the statement said.
Lokomotiv, a 2004 European cup champion, is currently 10th in the 16-team Russian Superleague. Its next game was to be against Grozny, the biggest city in Russia’s Chechnya province. It has played in the Russian championship since the 2011-12 season.
The other non-Russian team playing in the league is Soligorsk of Belarus.
