The Russian Athletics Federation has lodged a new claim with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) challenging sanctions imposed by World Athletics, arguing they infringe on the federation's rights and prevent it from properly representing Russian athletes internationally. Athletes from Russia and Belarus have been barred from World Athletics competition since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the move comes as other bodies show signs of softening their stance towards Russian participation, most notably the International Olympic Committee, which provisionally lifted Russia's suspension in July.

Russian Athletics chief executive Boris Yaryshevskiy described the sanctions as "unprecedented", saying no other federation faces such severe restrictions and that they hold back the development of the sport in Russia, particularly for young athletes. This latest filing follows a separate appeal lodged on 9 July against a World Athletics Council decision to extend the ban. Several other federations, including World Gymnastics, World Aquatics and World Boxing, have eased restrictions this year, and some Russian and Belarusian athletes competed as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.