The International Olympic Committee suspended Russia’s Olympic organization on Thursday, less than a year before the Paris Games, after Russia moved to make captured Ukrainian regions part of its national sports program.
The I.O.C. said that the Russian Olympic Committee had moved last week to incorporate sports bodies from four Ukrainian regions that it occupies, a breach of Olympic rules on territorial integrity.
While the I.O.C.’s punishment might look like a major shift in its stance on Russia, the committee stopped short of an outright ban on Russian athletes at the Paris Olympics. The I.O.C. said it was sticking with recommendations it made in March that appeared to create a path for Russians not connected to the war to participate in the Games.