The European Judo Congress in Slovenia is expected to be attended by two Russian officials ©EJU

The Russian Judo Federation (FDR) has announced that President Sergey Soloveychik is intending to take part in the European Judo Union (EJU) Congress in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana this Saturday (December 10) and will be accompanied by the FDR vice-president.

"President of the Russian Judo Federation Sergey Soloveychik, as well as vice-president of the federation Mikhail Cherkasov, will take part in the next congress of the European Judo Union," the FDR’s press bureau said in a communique published by Russian state news agency TASS.

Soloveychik had been EJU President for 15 years from 2007, but he resigned in February in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Soloveychik had also been a vice-president of the International Judo Federation but stood down from the role.

At the time, the IJF praised his "diligence and professionalism".

The announcement of  Soloveychik's unanimous election as FDR President was made in October after what described as a "regular meeting".

Sergey Soloveychik served as European Judo Union President for 15 years until the war in Ukraine earlier this year ©Getty Images
Sergey Soloveychik served as European Judo Union President for 15 years until the war in Ukraine earlier this year ©Getty Images

The EJU was briefly led by Interim President Otto Kneitinger from Germany before the Hungarian László Tóth was elected at an extraordinary EJU Congress.

The EJU is expected to discuss the competition calendar plus educational and marketing programmes at this month's Congress, but the agenda also includes "other administrative issues".

Judo is among the sports impacted the most by the war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was the Honorary President of both the IJF and EJU, but has been removed.

The IJF allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete neutrally at some of its events, but eventually barred them from this year's World Championships.