Athletics needs attention, Ukraine successes.

This is the mission of half a dozen athletes who have made their way from Ukraine to Belgrade for the first World Indoor Championships since Birmingham 2018. If she jumps high enough, 20-year-old Yaroslava Mahuchich will be able to shout out to the world what she is two days after Russia's attack on her homeland on Instagram and what is forbidden to say in the country of the aggressor with punishment: "For Russia: stop pretending that there is no war!

Russia attacked Ukraine!

Bombing cities, shooting at civilians, that's our reality!

Those who do nothing support the war!

We don't want war, but we will defend our home."

Michael Reinsch

Correspondent for sports in Berlin.

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Jaroslava Mahuchich is second in the World Championships, third in the Olympic Games and the European Indoor Championships.

Her chances of winning the title and thus of attracting the attention of the sports world are just as good as those of Maryna Bech-Romantschuk, the indoor world champion in the long jump.

The best of recent years, the Olympic champions Malaika Mihambo and Marija Lassizkene, are missing in Serbia.

Maryna Bech-Romantschuk makes no secret of what she wants.

On Thursday she posted a video on Instagram showing Russian airstrikes in Ukraine and dozens of their victims: children and the elderly who had been bombed out and killed.

She calls on the international community to protect her homeland with a no-fly zone.

High jumper Irina Gerashchenko, runner-up at the European Indoor Championships, hurdler Anna Plotitsina, pole vaulter Yana Hladijtschuk and all-around athlete Yulia Loban complete the Ukrainian team for Belgrade.

High jumper Julija Levtschenko is missing because she is on the run with her mother and sister.

As was the case at the Throwers' Cup in Leiria, Portugal, and at the Walking World Cup in Muscat, Oman, male athletes will not be competing for Ukraine.

They are needed in defending the country against Putin's soldiers and mercenaries.

Preparation in remote locations

"Yes, the representatives will be small: in some competitions one person, in others two, six," writes Ukrainian federation president Yevhen Pronin on his federation's website: "But there will be a Ukrainian flag, there will be meetings with the media and we hope that the anthem of Ukraine will be played.” Pictured in combat fatigues with a hat on his head, a radio in his breast pocket and a wide strap around his neck that could carry a rifle, Pronin describes the importance of the performances of Ukrainian track and field athletes as ambassadors of their country.

They have prepared in remote places and at sports facilities abroad, for example in Poland.

The association makes every effort to ensure that they can compete in all major international competitions.

"We take care of logistics, a fast corridor at the border, communication with the host country," he says, "we take care of financing, transit, approval processes with service providers for conscripts."

Jaroslawa Mahutschich will travel to Herzogenaurach from Belgrade, and arrangements have also been made for the accommodation and first-class training of Maryna Bech-Romantschuk in Germany.

It doesn't matter if she wins titles and medals or not.