Moldova warns athletes not to compete in Russia without permission

File photo: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shakes hands with Moldova's President Maia Sandu at a welcome ceremony during a meeting of the European Political Community at Mimi Castle in Bulboaca, Moldova June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Vladislav Culiomza/File photo

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Officials in Moldova, a fierce critic of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, pledged on Thursday to crack down on athletes and cultural figures who have travelled to Russia to compete or perform without official permission.

The warnings were issued after six athletes from the ex-Soviet state took part in the BRICS Games - a sports event for member-states of the economic grouping of nations - in the central Russian city of Kazan.