The International Olympic Committee suspended the Russian Olympic Committee on Thursday because it attempted to claim athletes from four separate regions in Ukraine as their own, per the Associated Press.
"(This) unilateral decision constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in accordance with the Olympic Charter," the IOC said in a statement.
The AP explained the ROC claimed sports councils in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia in eastern Ukraine as members of their own committee.
Les Carpenter of the Washington Post reported the suspension means the IOC will no longer provide funding for the ROC.