Russia called Latvia's historic "bronze medal" at World Cup 2023 "a result of cooperation with Russia"

Former SKA player Konstantin Menshikov continued attempts by the Russian hockey community to explain the historic success of the Latvian national team at the 2023 World Championship by Russian influence. The representative of the aggressor country called the Baltic team's "bronze" a consequence of its players' training in the pro-Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Menshikov made that statement in a comment for RB Sport. In the best traditions of Kremlin propaganda, he noted that the players who played in the KHL before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine were supposedly able to improve their skills and win their first ever world championship medals.

"I am, of course, happy for the Latvians. Their success is the result of many years of cooperation with Russia. Dinamo Riga played in the KHL, children's, youth and youth teams from Latvia came here for tournaments. Now the Latvian national team is composed of players playing in different European countries - Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Sweden. There is no one from the Latvian championship. Many of them went through the school of the KHL, played in different leagues of Russia. And they took the bronze not because they cut ties with our country, but on the contrary, because they prepared players here," Menshikov said.

Earlier, Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov called the 2023 World Cup the championship of the yard in the absence of Russia, and also spoke insultingly about Latvia. And hockey legend Vyacheslav Fetisov considers Russians who discuss the World Cup 2023 to be criminals.

Also OBOZREVATEL reported that the world champion 2023 became a team of Canada, which in the final match defeated another sensation of the current mundial - Germany (5:2). For the Maple Leafs, it is their 28th triumph at the World Cup. Former Russian head coach Vladimir Krikunov reacted to the victory of the North Americans with the words "they won't have long to live".

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