Ukraine star condemns 'propaganda victory' as sports soften on Russia

The 25-year-old, who lives in the capital Kyiv, also made an impassioned plea for US President Donald Trump to give Ukraine the interceptor missiles it needs to defend itself.

Oliynykova spoke to AFP at the Hong Kong Open, just hours after Russia again pummelled Ukraine in deadly overnight strikes.

The war is especially personal for Oliynykova -- who hit a career-high of 41 in the world in September -- because her father and boyfriend are in the armed forces.

She has also seen first-hand the extent of the destruction wrought on Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion in February 2022.

Oliynykova, who has emerged this year as one of Ukraine's most outspoken sports stars, said: "When I see the news I have a lot of empathy, and for me it's very painful to see, and it's also something very personal for me."

Oliynykova said she is often struck by the contrast between life on the tennis tour and reality back home.

"When I come home I live under attacks, I see destroyed buildings," she said, her voice threatening to break with emotion.

"I'm (sometimes) not only in Kyiv, I was in cities which are near the front which are suffering so, so much."

Oliynykova said that she frequently wakes up to explosions in Kyiv, where there are also power outages.

"You wake up and you hear this sound, the apartment is shaking," she said after losing her opening match in Hong Kong in straight sets.

"Let's say you're coming home from your practice, there is no electricity, you need to go to the 20th floor by walking, you are tired already, you want to rest.

"And you cannot even shower, and also in Ukraine the winter is cold."

- 'So many dying' -

Even as the war drags on, there are signs that sport is softening its attitude towards Russian athletes.

Russia's men and women ice hockey teams can return to the world championships next year after a five-year hiatus.

Russia will host the 2030 world weightlifting championships.

In July the International Olympic Committee eased restrictions on Russian athletes and opened a pathway for them to compete in qualifying events for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Oliynykova, who played at all four Grand Slams this year in a career breakthrough, speaks out because she wants the world to know what her country and its people are going through.

Allowing Russian competitors to rejoin the sports fold sends the wrong message, she said.

"This is horrible because these people are part of Russian propaganda," she said.

"It's a victory for Russian propaganda, like, you accepted the people, the symbols of the country which is killing people every day.

"You accepted the people who are supporting these horrible things."

Asked if she had a message for Trump, who had once vowed to end the war in 24 hours, Oliynykova echoed her government's plea for Patriot missiles, which are among the most important weapons Ukraine has to intercept Russian attacks.

"We need Patriots to defend our cities, to get air defence and to save lives," she said.

"Right now Russians are terrorising us, terrorising Kyiv.

"There are more attacks than ever before, so many civilians are dying."