Yulia Starodubtseva danced with the Russian women at Kasatkina’s wedding
This was reported by the ‘Great Tennis of Ukraine’ Instagram account, which posted a video of the wedding celebrations of Australian tennis player Daria Kasatkina and former Russian figure skater Natalia Zabiyako.
In the footage, Starodubtseva and Kichenok are seen dancing to the Russian-language song ‘Love Me, Love Me’ by the band ‘Otpetye Moshenniki’. Standing nearby were Russian tennis players Mirra Andreeva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who compete in international tournaments under neutral status.
The wedding took place in Athens. Among the guests was also Russian-born Kamilla Rakhimova, who currently represents Uzbekistan.
The video drew criticism on Ukrainian social media. Users pointed out that the athletes representing Ukraine were socialising with the Russian women whilst a full-scale war was underway.
Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynikova reacted to the incident separately. She stated that such behaviour by Ukrainian athletes weakens the position of those seeking to isolate Russian representatives in international sport.
“Whilst ‘Love me, love me’ is playing in a party with Russians, I am at war. And I will not remain silent,” Oliynikova wrote. She also emphasised that Ukrainian athletes must maintain a united stance towards representatives of the aggressor state.
Starodubtseva and Kichenok have not publicly commented on the video or explained their participation in the celebrations.
Daria Kasatkina was born in Russia, but after the full-scale invasion began, she publicly condemned the war and stated that she could not return to the country safely. Subsequently, the tennis player began representing Australia and was granted Australian citizenship.
Kasatkina and Zabiyako announced their engagement in 2025. The tennis player said at the time that the couple were planning a small wedding by the sea, attended by family and close friends.
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