The pictures have emerged on Instagram through the non-Government affiliated Base of Ukrainian Sports account days after the International Fencing Federation (FIE) voted to allow Russian and Belarusian fencers to return to its competitions.

Among the photographs published, Lavrichev is shown with individuals in military uniform with a Russian flag branded with the "Z" symbol, which is has become associated with the country's military and pro-war nationalist propaganda since last year's invasion of Ukraine.

The time and location of the photos is unclear, but Base of Ukrainian Sports claims that he has visited Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine nine times.

Lavrichev has been "identified for sanction" by the Ukrainian Government as an "official of a state enterprise that works in the field of the defence industry" which it says produces military equipment used by Russia in the war.

Ukrainian-born Lavrichev was chair of the Board of Directors at the Arzamas Instrument-Making Plant named after Plandin until last year, and is the chair of the Nizhny Novgorod City Duma.

He became Russian Fencing Federation first vice-president in December 2021, and has reportedly sent aid, including food and medicines, to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

insidethegames has asked the FIE for a comment on the photographs.

The FIE voted convincingly at Friday's (March 10) Extraordinary Congress to allow Russian and Belarusian individual athletes, teams and officials to return to its competitions effective from mid-April, in time for Paris 2024 Olympics qualification.

There have been warnings that this could set a "precedent" for other Olympic sports to follow, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) exploring a pathway for the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

The IOC has said that under its plans, "only those who have not acted against the peace mission of the IOC by actively supporting the war in Ukraine could compete".

It has supported sanctions taken by International Federations against Russian athletes including gymnast Ivan Kuliak and swimmer Evgeny Rylov for pro-war sentiments.

The IOC has claimed that no decision has been taken on how it will determine whether an athlete actively supports the war, and "an exploration of a primary concept for conditions of participation is underway".

IOC President Thomas Bach won an Olympic fencing gold medal with West Germany in the men's team foil event at Montreal 1976.

He is reportedly close to self-suspended FIE President Alisher Usmanov, the Uzbek-born Russian oligarch who stood aside "until justice is restored" after being sanctioned by the European Union in response to the war in Ukraine.

Greek official Emmanuel Katsiadakis has been serving as Interim FIE President since then.