More Than Half Of The Ukrainian Olympic Team Has Left Sochi In Protest [REPORT]

Paul Gilham/Getty ImagesThe Ukraine Olympic team enters the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

More than half of the athletes on Ukraine's Olympic team have left the Games in protest after clashes in Kiev intensified and grew more violent this week, according to British newspaper The Times.

Ukraine sent 43 athletes to the Olympics in Sochi this year. The Times reports that most of those who chose to leave the Games early had already competed in events.

More than 50 people have died so far in the Ukraine protests, which began in late November. The clashes are between Kremlin-backed forces who support Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and those who want integration with the European Union.

At least one athlete who quit the Olympics early, Bogdana Matsotska, left before she had finished competing, according to Agence France Presse.

Matsotska's father and coach, Oleg Matsotskiy, released this statement: "In a sign of protest ... against the bandit-like actions against protesters, we are taking no further part in the Sochi Olympics in 2014."

AFP reports that they are the first members of the Ukrainian team who are confirmed to have left Sochi early.