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≡ EURO ELECTION INQUIRY ≡
On 30 November 2022, Italian Luciano Rossi ousted Russian billionaire incumbent Vladimir Lisin for the presidency of the International Shooting Sport Federation in a very tight, 136-127 vote. Rossi had lost to Lisin in 2018 for the same office, by four votes.
Lisin, whose involvement waned afterwards in view of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has not gone away. And he dramatically resurfaced in October 2025 at the European Shooting Confederation, where former ISSF Secretary General and incumbent President Alexander Ratner (RUS) was re-elected by 56-37 over Finland’s Karoliina Nissinen.
Nissinen, writing in a guest editorial for The Sports Examiner, stated:
● “The most shocking moment came just before the vote. According to several delegates who are ready to testify, the incumbent president, Mr. Ratner, publicly promised €200,000 to every member federation – a total of more than €23 million. When asked where the funds would come from, he reportedly pointed to Vladimir Lisin, the Russian businessman seated prominently in the front row, despite having no official role or delegate status. ‘He has it,’ Mr. Ratner allegedly said.”
● “I personally approached Mr. Lisin to ask whether the money being discussed was intended as sponsorship for the ESC – to be distributed fairly among all member federations. His response, as I recall it, was clear: ‘No. This is money I will give to whoever I want, to whoever I like, and to whoever supports my candidate.’
“It was deeply disturbing to witness such behaviour in a European sports assembly — not only for me, but for many delegates present.”
Nissinen called on the ISSF and the International Olympic Committee to review the election, adding:
“This appears to be part of a wider effort by Russian interests to regain influence over international sports federations — and to return to the Olympic Games through financial leverage rather than legitimate reform and participation.”
On Monday, the International Shooting Sport Federation issued a statement that included:
● “Multiple reports have been received by the ISSF Integrity Unit regarding alleged breaches of the ISSF Integrity code during the European Confederation General Assembly and Elections which took place in Yerevan, Armenia on 25 October.”
● “Following advice from the Integrity Officer that there is a prima facie case to answer under the ISSF Integrity Code, the ISSF Integrity Council will appoint an independent Investigatory Body to investigate the allegations and submit a report to the Integrity Council. Any sanctions relevant to this investigation will be applied in due course by the Adjudicatory Body, which is also independent.”
● “If it is found that there has been a violation of the Integrity Code, the Adjudicatory Body will convene a panel of three non-conflicted members to decide on the case based on the investigation report provided by the Investigatory Body. The independent Adjudicatory Body will also be responsible for applying any sanctions.”
Ratner remains as the head of the ESC while the investigation takes place at a time when Russian re-integration into international competitions is accelerating. What happens in the ISSF inquiry could impact the future of Russia not only in the European Shooting Confederation, but elsewhere.
But this will take time.
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