On 20 February 2014, the Ukrainian NOC reported that as many as half of the Ukrainian athletes at the Olympics had left the games to return home. But according to Ukrainian NOC president Sergey Bubka they had returned home in compliance with their original schedule, and their departure was thus not related to the riots in Kiev. According to Bubka, the remaining athletes did plan to participate in the closing ceremony. In a statement on 20 February 2014, the Ukrainian team had expressed condolences for the dead and stated, "We are thinking about our families and loved ones back home in Ukraine, and we are doing our best to honour them on the fields of play here in Sochi. We appeal for peace and mutual understanding to find a positive way forward for Ukraine".