The President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Witold Banka, has said that the situation with anti-doping in Ukraine has improved markedly following Operation Hercules, which examined violations in Ukrainian sports between 2019 and 2021.
He stated in an interview with Ukrinform that Ukraine was now successfully testing its athletes even during wartime.
Banka stated that WADA had observed significant positive changes, as the anti-doping situation in Ukraine had previously been unsatisfactory, particularly in the context of the “Hercules” probe. According to him, many of the past mistakes had since been corrected, and as of now, the National Anti-Doping Center of Ukraine complied with WADA’s requirements and Code. He added that while there was always room for further improvement in the fight against doping, WADA’s relations with the Ukrainian side were very good, with full commitment to cooperation from the government, the ministry, and especially the minister of sports. He said that WADA currently had no concerns about their work.
Banka recalled that when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, WADA had taken a clear stance and offered support to its Ukrainian colleagues. He mentioned that Poland’s Anti-Doping Agency (POLADA) had played an important role, and WADA had appealed to anti-doping organizations across Europe to help Ukraine’s National Anti-Doping Center, including by funding athlete testing — an effort that proved successful.
He stressed that WADA had been active from the outset in supporting Ukrainians to ensure the country’s anti-doping system could continue operating despite Russian aggression. He added that this had been WADA’s main goal, even though the organization was not political and sought to avoid political statements.
Banka also stressed that although the war was still ongoing, Ukraine’s National Anti-Doping Center continued to collect samples from athletes inside the country.
According to earlier reports, in 2021, WADA released preliminary findings from Operation Hercules, which determined that Ukraine’s National Anti-Doping Center had violated international testing standards.
Photo courtesy of WADA