Two-time Olympic volleyball medallist Taras Khtey of Russia led a collection fund for ammunition to be used in the war waged on Ukraine ©Getty Images

Russia's London 2012 Olympic volleyball gold medallist Taras Khtey has spearheaded a collection fund of ammunition to be used in the war against Ukraine.

Russian state-run news agency TASS reported RUB 4.5 million (£37,500/$46,600/€43,400) in uniforms, bulletproof vests, first aid kits, generators and an all-terrain vehicle had been collected from April 21 to September 8.

Khtey, also an Olympic bronze medallist at Athens 2004, was supported by his London 2012 team-mates Sergey Tetyukhin, Dmitry Ilinikh and Nikolay Apalikov and other volleyball players in presenting the equipment to the First Donetsk Army Corps.

The collection was part of the "everything for victory" project launched by Vladimir Putin's All-Russia People's Front.

Donetsk, which with some other parts of Eastern Ukraine has been partly controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, has been the scene of heavy fighting recently as Ukrainian forces have launched a counter-offensive to try to regain lost terrority. 

Money raised by members of Russia's London 2012 gold medal-winning volleyball team will provide help supplies for fighting in the Donetsk region, which Ukraine has launched a counter-offensive in an effort to try to regain ©Getty Images
Money raised by members of Russia's London 2012 gold medal-winning volleyball team will provide help supplies for fighting in the Donetsk region, which Ukraine has launched a counter-offensive in an effort to try to regain ©Getty Images

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) claimed it was unaware of the reports, but expressed its opposition to war.

"The FIVB is not aware of these reports and is not in a position to comment on activity which occurs outside of the FIVB’s jurisdiction," it told insidethegames.

"The FIVB reiterates its total opposition to war and its firm belief that athletes and sport should serve to promote peace and unity and not be used as tools for conflict and division."

Russia's widely condemned invasion of Ukraine led to its exile from international sport for more than one year from February 2022, before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) controversially allowed their and Belarus' athletes to return as individual neutrals provided they do not support the war and are not affiliated to the military.

This does not apply to team sports including volleyball, which have retained an outright ban.

Four members of Russia's London 2012 Olympic volleyball gold medal-winning squad contributed to the collection fund to support the war in Ukraine ©Getty Images
Four members of Russia's London 2012 Olympic volleyball gold medal-winning squad contributed to the collection fund to support the war in Ukraine ©Getty Images

Russia was also stripped of last year's Volleyball Men's World Championship,an event the FIVB had previously claimed it would be "legally and practically impossible" to move from Russia as World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions against the country dictated, because of the war in Ukraine.

Critics of the IOC's eased stance argue there should be no place for Russia and Belarus in sport while the war in Ukraine is ongoing, and fear athletes even competing as neutrals would be used for political purposes.