[CQ-Contest] CQ to Limit Contest Participation by Stations in Russia, Belarus and Donbas Region Due to Russian Invasion of Ukraine

[aa3b.bud at gmail.com]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 17, 2022
Contact: Rich Moseson, W2VU, Editor
w2vu at cq-amateur-radio.com <mailto:w2vu at cq-amateur-radio.com> 

STATEMENT OF CQ COMMUNICATIONS, INC., REGARDING CQ CONTESTS AND THE RUSSIAN
INVASION OF UKRAINE

(Northport, NY 17 March, 2022) - CQ Communications, Inc., publishers of CQ
Amateur Radio magazine and sponsor of the CQ World Wide DX and WPX Contests,
announced today that in light of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and
Belarus, it will not accept competitive entries in any of its sponsored
contests by amateur radio stations in Russia, Belarus or the separatist
Donbas region of Ukraine (unofficial D1 prefix). Logs submitted by these
stations will be accepted only as checklogs. In addition, contacts with
these stations by other participants will have zero point value and will not
count as multipliers.

This is in line with a similar action taken by the Radio Society of Great
Britain, following the lead of other international sports federations around
the world.

"We regret the need to take this action," said CQ Publisher Richard Ross,
K2MGA, "and recognize that the vast majority of our fellow amateurs who are
affected by it are innocent bystanders who had no role in their government's
decision to invade another sovereign country. However, in light of the great
suffering being inflicted without cause on the people of Ukraine by Russia's
leaders, we cannot in good conscience stand by and do nothing."

The CQ policy will take effect with the 2022 CQ WPX SSB Contest on March 26
and 27. Future events will be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending
on the situation at that time.