All-female line-up in Belgrade includes Olympic high jump bronze medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh

Six Ukrainian athletes will take part in next week’s World Indoor Championships in what is an all-female team.

The standout name in the line-up is Olympic bronze, world silver and European Indoor high jump champion, Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

The 20-year-old lies third on the all-time list indoors with 2.06m and will be one of the favourites to win gold, given that Olympic champion Mariya Lasitskene – an ANA athlete – won’t be in Serbia after World Athletics announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from competition indefinitely as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mahuchikh recently posted on social media: “For several days, almost all of Ukraine wakes up from explosions and shots. Russia has started a war with us, but we are a strong people and we are resisting. All the people of Ukraine are helping our army, each other, what we can, we will endure everything together.

“For the Russians: stop pretending that there is no war! Russia has attacked Ukraine! They are bombing cities, shooting at civilians and this is our reality! By inaction you support the war! We do not want war, but we will defend our home.”

Another Ukrainian athlete who will fancy her chances in Belgrade is World and European silver medallist and European Indoor long jump champion, Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk.

She is listed to double up in both the long jump and the triple jump but, given all of her major honours are in the former, you wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 26-year-old solely focus on the long jump where she will be up against home favourite and Olympic bronze medallist Ivana Španović.

Bekh-Romanchuk competed in two events in Ukraine back in January as part of her winter training programme.

She recently said on social media: “My country is at war but we want to live in a free country, without Russian help and without Russia. Let’s support Ukraine and dream of freedom. Independent. Brave. Strong. Everything in Ukraine! Everything will be Ukraine. We are a strong and independent nation. I love you Ukraine.”

European Indoor high jump silver medallist Iryna Herashchenko, 11-time Ukrainian 60m hurdles champion Anna Plotitsyna, Olympic pole vaulter Yana Hladiychuk and pentathlete Yuliya Loban make up the rest of the team.

Ukraine have a rich history at the World Indoor Championships and are 13th on the all-time medal list with 34 – including nine golds, 14 silvers and 11 bronzes.

The 18th edition of the championships take place between March 18-20. It will be the first time they’ve taken place since Birmingham four years ago.

You can watch the action live on the BBC and stay up-to-date with all the latest news, reaction and interviews on the AW social media channels and website.