Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, fresh from reaching the French Open semi-finals, has criticised Russian tennis players for remaining silent about the war in Ukraine. Speaking after her victory over compatriot Elina Svitolina, Kostyuk said Russian rivals 'know what’s going on' but choose not to speak out. 'They are all grownups. They know what they’re talking about. They have phones. They have Instagram. They have news,' she said, adding that she wished for 'some more clear stance on what’s going on, especially when your country is killing other people.'
Kostyuk praised Daria Kasatkina, who switched allegiance from Russia to Australia, as an example of someone who had spoken out despite pressure. 'There is nothing that’s stopping you if this is something you don’t believe in,' Kostyuk said, noting that most players do not live in Russia. She dedicated her match to the Ukrainian people after a night of drone and missile attacks that killed at least 23 people, saying representing Ukraine had become more important than results.
The deadly attacks on Tuesday highlight Russia's exploitation of a global shortage of air defence interceptor missiles, particularly the MIM-104 Patriot. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated pleas for more interceptors, warning of another large-scale attack. 'Unfortunately the current level of supplies for our air defence does not enable us to intercept a significant portion of the missiles,' he said. Over 70 missiles and 650 drones were fired at Ukraine overnight, with 100 more drones on Tuesday.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged tougher sanctions and more military support, stating 'Moscow is losing on the battlefield. No number of missiles can change this.' Meanwhile, Russian regions also faced attacks, with the Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar catching fire after a drone strike. Officials in Kharkiv ordered the mandatory evacuation of over 7,000 people from seven towns and villages due to increased Russian attacks.
