The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said Wednesday it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate at the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Beijing as "neutral athletes" despite their countries' roles in the war against Ukraine.

Russian athletes had already been slated to compete as RPC, short for the Russian Paralympic Committee, as punishment for the state-sponsored doping scandal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and a subsequent cover-up.

The IPC added more restrictions when the Paralympics open on Friday but stopped short of expulsion. Belarus was sanctioned for its part in aiding Russia with the invasion and war against Ukraine.

Both delegations will be excluded from the medal table, and the IPC said it would not hold events in either country "while the present situation continues."

"What we have decided upon is the harshest possible punishment we can hand down within our constitution and the current IPC rules," IPC President Andrew Parsons said in a statement.

"In deciding what actions the IPC should take, it was fundamental that we worked within the framework of our new constitution to remain politically neutral and within the IPC Handbook, the rules and regulations that govern the Paralympic Movement."

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Monday pushed sports bodies to exclude Russian athletes from international events, but it left the final decision to individual governing bodies. The IOC has been slow to crack down on Russia, allowing its athletes to compete in the last four Olympics following Sochi.

The IOC said the action was needed now to "protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants" but left sports bodies with a way around the exclusion by adding that Russians and Belarusians could compete as neutral athletes or teams if expulsion was not possible because of short notice.

The move by the IPC comes as Russia is being barred from competing in a long list of sports including ice skating, skiing, football, hockey, basketball, track and field and some tennis events. Some sports like swimming haven’t followed the recommendation from the IOC to ban Russians, instead of allowing them to compete as neutral athletes.

Parsons acknowledged the possibility that some Paralympic athletes might refuse to compete against their counterparts from Russia. He also had said the options for the IPC were "limited" because of the possibility of legal challenges from Russia or elsewhere.

IOC President Thomas Bach will not attend the Paralympics and has designated Parsons – an IOC member – to represent the body. IOC vice president Ser Miang Ng was to attend but has tested positive for COVID-19. The IOC said Ng had only mild symptoms.

Paralympic officials say 648 athletes and 49 delegations will take part in the Winter Paralympics. There were 2,900 athletes at last month's Winter Olympics with 91 delegations.

Officials say 71 Russian athletes are expected to compete in the Paralympics.

Ukraine en route to Beijing

In the meanwhile, Ukraine’s Winter Paralympics contingent of 20 athletes is expected to be in Beijing in time for Friday’s opening ceremony.

With its civilian airspace closed, half a million refugees fleeing to neighboring countries and Russian troops closing in on Kyiv, getting Ukraine's Paralympians to Beijing could be difficult logistically.

IPC's Parsons had said last week it would be a "mammoth challenge," declining to comment further for security reasons.

However, Ukraine's National Sports Committee for the Disabled confirmed late Tuesday its full team of 20 athletes and nine guides were making their way to the Games and hoped to be in Beijing by Wednesday.

"I hope that tomorrow, March 2, we will be in Beijing," said Natalia Garach, communications manager for the team.

The small Eastern European country has punched above its weight in previous Paralympic winter events, with frequent podium finishes in the biathlon and ski events.

The delegation took home 22 medals in 2018 – including seven golds – gaining the sixth spot on the world tally.

For some team members, the emotional rollercoaster and disrupted focus will be a case of deja vu.

During Russia's hosting of the Winter Paralympics in 2014, Ukrainian athletes had to grapple with Moscow's takeover of the Crimea peninsula.