Russia denies cosmonauts wore yellow in support of Ukraine

Screenshot: Roscosmos

According to a report from the BBC, the Russian space agency has denied that its three cosmonauts wore the colors of the Ukrainian flag as a potential statement against the ongoing war. The three cosmonauts boarded the International Space Station wearing bright yellow and blue suits.

The agency wrote in a translated post that yellow is just yellow. Artemyev wore a yellow suit on his first flight, according to a post on Telegram.

...а космонавтов-выпускников Бауманского университета заставим ни при каких обстоятельствах не носить цвета герба их альма-матер, то они глубоко ошибаются))) pic.twitter.com/E0MkcqdVIS

— РОГОЗИН (@Rogozin) March 19, 2022

The three graduates of Bauman University will not be forced to wear their alma mater's coat of arms.

During a press conference after their arrival, the cosmonauts didn't indicate any meaning behind the colors. Artemyev said that it was their turn to pick a color. We had accumulated a lot of yellow fabric, so we needed to use it up.

The three cosmonauts arrived at the International Space Station on the same day. Despite the tensions between Russia and other nations, they were warmly received by their fellow German, Russian, and American crew members.

Mark Vande Hei is an American. A Russian spaceship is going to bring him, along with Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov, back to Earth on March 30th. Russia says it will bring Vande Hei back as planned.