The Seoul 1988 Olympic gold medallist was welcomed by the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) in Budapest where he spoke to MOB President Zsolt Gyulay on the phone to thank him for the organisation's donations to Ukraine.

The first contributions arrived in Transcarpathia last week and included sportswear and sports shoes.

Further donations were also sent to Uzhhorod with more claimed to be one their way, which prompted International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach to praise double Olympic champion canoeist Gyulay.

IOC member Bubka was then met by the Italian National Olympic Committee's (CONI) President Giovanni Malagò and the country's undersecretary of state with responsibility for sport Valentina Vezzali.

Bubka was joined by Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sports Vadym Guttsait.

Malagò and Bubka are due to visit the Giulio Onesti Olympic Preparation Centre today in Rome with CONI secretary general Carlo Mornati.

They are set to meet a group of Ukrainian athletes in taekwondo, rowing and fencing who are training in Italy as part of the Italian National Federations' solidarity initiatives.

A total of 20 National Federations in the country have given hospitality to Ukrainian athletes to help them prepare for upcoming international events.

The Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee has also displayed its solidarity for Ukraine, with more than 400 athletes being welcomed to Slovakia after the Russian invasion.

"Sports clubs in Slovakia have opened their facilities to children and their parents, often including coaches, who have had to leave Ukraine," said Jozef Liba, secretary general of the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee.

"Also in this way they help them to adapt and forget the sad events that are taking place in their country and are negatively affecting their psychological state.

"Representatives of sports clubs also help refugees from Ukraine materially, providing them with accommodation and food.

"A big thank you to all of them."