The International Olympic Committee says it has decided to suspend Russia's national Olympic body for trying to claim that some Ukrainian regional sports groups are under the body's authority. The suspension took effect immediately and will remain in place until further notice.

IOC spokesperson Mark Adams made the announcement at a news conference on Thursday. Earlier in the day, the IOC Executive Board had met in Mumbai, India.

Adams said the Russian Olympic Committee decided on October 5 to include, as its members, regional sports organizations that are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.

The organizations are based in four Ukrainian territories that Russia claims to have annexed -- Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.

Adams said that the Russian body's "unilateral decision" constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter.

But he said the IOC maintains its position that Russian athletes should be allowed to compete in international competitions as neutral individuals.

Adams also said that the IOC reserves the right to decide, at an appropriate time, whether to allow Russian athletes to take part in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

The Russian Olympic Committee released a statement on Thursday. It said the IOC had made another counterproductive decision with obvious political motivations.

It added that it reserves the right to protect its own interests, as well as the interests of athletes and organizations of a sovereign country.