{{dayPoint.date | date : 'd MMMM yyyy'}}

{{newsPoint.title}}

{{newsPoint.title+ ' '}}

{{newsPoint.subtitle}}

Russia’s Shnaider edges 2025 Monterrey Open quarterfinals win over Belgium’s Mertens

Diana Shnaider is now set to meet unseeded Alycia Sparks from the United States in the semifinals

MEXICO, August 22. /TASS/. Russia’s Diana Shnaider has advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 WTA Monterrey Open tennis tournament in Mexico after a hard-fought quarterfinal against Belgian Elise Mertens.

In a match that lasted nearly three hours, the 3rd-seeded Shnaider, who is playing under a neutral status at the tournament, managed to defeat her 5th-seeded Belgian rival 3-6; 7-6 (8-6); 7-6 (7-4). The Russian is now set to meet unseeded Alycia Sparks from the United States in the semifinals.

Shnaider, 21, is currently ranked 22nd in the WTA Rankings. She holds four WTA titles, winning all of them in the previous season. Her best result in Grand Slams was reaching Round 4 of the 2024 US Open.

At the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, she captured a silver medal in women’s doubles with partner Mirra Andreeva.

The 2025 Monterrey Open (WTA 500-class) is played on outdoor hard courts at Club Sonoma between August 18 and 23. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova remains the only Russian to have triumphed at this tournament, claiming the title in 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2017.

Russian players’ neutral status at international tournaments

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from international competitions, citing Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations barred athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international events.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) ruled on March 1, 2022 to suspend the membership of the Russian and Belarusian national tennis federations while also canceling all scheduled tournaments in those countries.

On March 14, 2022, the ITF also reaffirmed its prohibition on the Russian and Belarusian national tennis teams from competing in the 2022 Davis Cup and the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup.

However, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) allowed players from Russia and Belarus to continue competing in WTA and ATP events, but only under a neutral status.

Tags

Russian boxer Gassiev captures World Boxing Association heavyweight title

The Russian landed a left hook, sending the Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev to the canvas

Russia tries to secure release of almost 500 political prisoners in Ukraine

According to Commissioner for Human Rights Tatyana Moskalkova, among those repressed "are priests, journalists, human rights defenders, and just ordinary civilians who, by the will of fate, were on the territory of Ukraine"

Fire breaks out at oil depot after UAV attack on Uryupinsk

The evacuation of residents of the houses adjacent to the oil depot is underway

Cruiser Moskva retains buoyancy, explosions of ammunition stopped — Defense Ministry

Measures are being taken to tug the cruiser to port

About 10,000 mercenaries fighting for Kiev regime killed in Ukraine — ex-intel officer

However it is difficult to give the exact number of mercenaries killed in Ukraine, noted Vasily Prozorov

Turkey offers limited safety agreement for navigation in Black Sea — Fidan

Foreign Minister said that the grain deal was struck in 2022 under a similar principle

Russian boxer Gassiev captures World Boxing Association heavyweight title

The Russian landed a left hook, sending the Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev to the canvas

Proton-M launch delayed to fix problems — Roscosmos

The postponement will not affect the planned scientific program

Russia’s Battlegroup West destroys over 220 Ukrainian troops, Bastion MLRS in past day

Also the Battlegroup West’s air defense crews suppressed 21 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles and 38 Vampire heavy attack drones of the Ukrainian army

Russia shoots down 235 Ukrainian UAVs over regions overnight

Two of them were shot down over the Leningrad Region and one over the Moscow Region

Russian investment in Indonesia exceeds $147 mln since start of 2025

As Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita noted, the steady inflow of capital reflects a high level of confidence on the part of Russian investors

Internationally wanted human trafficker eliminated in Libya — news outlet

According to the agency’s statement, Ahmed al-Dabbashi, also known as al-Amu, was killed during an operation to arrest his associates in Sabratha, a city located west of Tripoli

Russia delivers massive overnight strike on Ukrainian military-industrial sites

Kiev loses 1,355 troops along engagement line in past day

Orban says EU use of Russian assets would mean declaration of war

"Hungary will not play along in this twisted Brusselian scheme," Hungarian Prime Minister said

EU to rue indefinite freezing of Russian assets — RDIF CEO

The EU Council is expected to officially enshrine the decision on the indefinite freezing of Russian assets in Europe today

US lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash to take effect immediately

"This decision has been made and will take effect immediately," Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations Valentin Rybakov said

Ukrainian losses in conflict have exceeded 1 million — Lavrov

"The Kiev regime, originally established as a fiercely ideological military entity, has now devolved into a criminal gang," the Russian foreign minister said

Lifting US sanctions on Belarusian potash to affect fertilizer market, Minsk believes

According to member of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Alexander Shpakovsky, the results of the Belarusian-American talks meet the expectations of official Minsk

Freight pontoon bridge links Russia's Blagoveshchensk with China’s Heihe

The bridge allows transporting cargos across the Amur River after the navigation period ends

Russian forces strike units of nine Ukrainian brigades, regiments in Zaporozhye Region

Russian units are advancing methodically, liberating the territory of the Zaporozhye Region, said governor Evgeny Balitsky

EU Council decided to perpetually block Russian sovereign assets

According to the plan of the European Commission, this step is the first phase in further expropriation of Russian assets

Russian Academy of Sciences to do everything possible to secure Butyagin's release

According to the institute, thanks to the work of the Myrmekion archaeological expedition led by Butyagin, the main stages of the ancient city's history were identified and documented in detail, and unique archaeological material was collected, which gained worldwide fame

Moscow calls on Berlin to tone down anti-Russian rhetoric — embassy

Russia urged the German side to stop stirring up hysteria over Russia's alleged preparations to attack one or more NATO countries

Russian Pacific Fleet corvette Gremyashchy concludes business call at Brunei

During its long-distance deployment, the corvette Gremyashchy took part in the Russia-Myanmar naval maneuvers Marumex 2025

Temporary restrictions on departure of aircraft introduced at Pulkovo Airport

Restrictions are necessary to ensure flight safety

Zelensky blackmails Western handlers to get them secure his re-election — Russian diplomat

Vladimir Zelensky’s presidential powers expired on May 20, 2024

Putin hands over Russia passport to Depardieu

Putin and Depardieu discussed several issues related to the French-Russian film, where Gerard Depardieu played Russian monk Grigory Rasputin

Western politicians bound with Zelensky by corruption — Russian diplomat

He blackmails them on the parameters of the Ukraine settlement and the issue of elections, said Maria Zakharova

Sixty-eight ionizing radiation sources lost in Ukraine — Russia’s top brass

According to the report, the loss of control over ionizing radiation sources was qualified as a radiation accident

Irresponsible politicians, not Russia, threaten Europe — embassy

Diplomats commented on NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's statement that the alliance would allegedly become Moscow's "next target"

Russia’s response to EU freeze of Russian assets will follow shortly — diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also noted that the European Union’s policy toward Russia has long been devoid of any sound logic and resembles a theater of the absurd

Russia managed to keep jobs despite foreign companies’ exit — PM

As Mikhail Mishustin said, consumer demand is gradually recovering

Zelensky: big business tycoons, diplomats make mistake by leaving Ukraine

The Ukrainian president stressed that his own family remained in Kiev

Two civilians killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Saratov Region

The Ukrainian drone attack also damaged the facades of several buildings, added Governor Roman Busargin

Russian senator calls Merz's words recognition of major geopolitical shift

"This is a serious recognition of a major geopolitical shift, which not everyone believes in yet, but which has been looming for a long time," Alexey Pushkov noted

Court sentences former Bolivian President Arce to five months of pretrial detention

The Prosecutor General's Office requested that Luis Arce be kept in custody pending a court hearing as it believed there was a risk of escape or attempts to obstruct the investigation

Ukrainian soldiers frozen to death at Liman positions in Kharkov Region — defense source

Battlegroup North fighters found the frozen bodies of Ukrainian soldiers who had died from hyperthermia at two out of six positions they seized

League of Arab States is discussing preparations for Russian-Arab summit — mission chief

According to Walid Hamid Shiltagh, the summit could be held as early as next year

EU intends won’t return Russian assets as long as Europe experiences economic problems

Commenting on this decision, EU leaders did not go into these legal details, but simply called the freeze on Russian assets "indefinite"

Top Transnistrian diplomat refutes Chisinau's claims that it called for dialogue

Chiveri told a conference in Chisinau on Thursday that he had sent an address to Tiraspol’s political director inviting him to discuss a range of problems the Moldovan side is concerned over

Russian ambassador rejects German accusations of state involvement in cyberattack on DFS

Sergey Nechayev called the German government's accusations unfounded, unjustified, and absurd

Drone attack in Russia’s Saratov Region kills one — governor

There is damage to civilian infrastructure

Zelensky pushed to the wall by battlefield situation, illegitimacy — Russian diplomat

For this reason, he began to blackmail his Western curators, said Maria Zakharova

Police, FBI look for shooter or shooters at Brown University — mayor

According to Brett Smiley, local police officers and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation are "currently in close coordination"

Nigeria denies reports that supertanker seized by US is Nigerian

NIMASA confirmed that SKIPPER did indeed sail to Nigeria in 2024

US forces conduct operation on ship traveling from China to Iran — WSJ

After the goods were confiscated, the ship continued on its way, the newspaper said

Medvedev rejects accusations of Russia’s ‘disproportionate use of force’

There were several explosions in Kiev this night

US hindering Venezuela to sell its oil, supply it to Cuba — Cuban foreign ministry

This step is part of escalation staged by the United States to bar Venezuela from realizing its legitimate right to the free use of and trade in its natural resources, the Cuban foreign ministry emphasized

Fico calls for restoration of work of commissions for economic cooperation with Russia

Slovakia, as the prime minister always emphasizes, pursues a foreign policy "oriented to all four sides of the world"

Criminal case over murder threat opened against Vitas

The singer said today that the incident happened to him - it's a terrible shock and a bad situation

Russian government approves Roscosmos-NASA talks on cross-flights to ISS

In late November, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Operations Kenneth Bowersox said that the United States and Russia were working to extend the ISS cross-flight program

PREVIEW: Russia-Jordan visa-free travel agreement comes into force

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Hussein Abdullah Al-Safadi signed the corresponding document on August 20 in Moscow

Starmer, von der Leyen discuss progress of Russian assets confiscation

British Prime Minister and the head of the European Commission also discussed the work on the US-led peace plan

Trump admits looming difficulties for Republicans at midterm elections

US President also said that he had brought multibillion-dollar investments for the United States, though it is unclear when the money would start working

MFA calls EU authorities 'thimbleriggers' after indefinite freezing of Russian assets

According to the European Commission's plan, the indefinite asset freeze is the first stage in the expropriation of Russian assets

Air defenses down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight

28 of them were destroyed over the territory of the Saratov Region

Belgium demands EU countries halt investment agreements with Russia — media

Belgium is demanding independent and autonomous guarantees from EU countries in return for its support for a floated loan to Ukraine using immobilized Russian assets

Energy cooperation with Russia has room for improvement, Greece’s president says

Katerina Sakellaropoulou underscored that "an emphasis should also be made on the natural gas sector"

Man opens fire on territory of Brown University — TV

According to the Associated Press, the suspect was detained

Russian troops liberate eight communities in Ukraine operation over week — top brass

Over the past week, Battlegroup South units liberated the settlements of Seversk and Chervonoye in the DPR

Trump will not dictate to Europe how to build relations with Russia — US blogger

American political commentator and Russia Up Close host Eddie Gonzales also noted that the new US National Security Strategy does not explicitly label Russia as a 'security threat', as previous documents did

Russian assets seizure could trigger crisis in EU comparable to Great Depression — expert

According to Jacques Sapir, "this will have extremely dire consequences for the largest European banks"

Ukrainian forces facing huge losses in Kharkov Region — Russian security officer

Ukrainian commanders are chaotically deploying brigade forces to various parts of the frontline in the Kharkov Region in an attempt to stop Battlegroup North from advancing

Euroclear ready to lawsuits in Russian courts due to assets blocking

The European Commission and the Belgian government made no comments on such news so far

North Korean combat engineers clear mines on over 40,000 hectares in Russia’s Kursk Region

This is invaluable help in the work, without which our borderline territory cannot be rebuilt, Governor Alexander Khinshtein said

TV presenter Clarkson bans all members of Britain's ruling party from visiting his pub

He has done this due to tax increases

Syrian-American patrol attacked during meeting with Interior Ministry representative — WSJ

It has happened while a US lieutenant colonel was meeting with a representative of the Syrian Interior Ministry, according to the report

EU considers Ukraine's accession by 2027 'absolutely impossible' — Reuters

A European diplomat briefed on the plan noted that it was not clear whether the EU leadership backed Ukrainian accession, the news agency said

Restrictions on operation of Pulkovo Airport lifted

Restrictions were imposed to ensure flight safety

Nearly 1,500 people evacuated from Moscow’s VTB Arena due to bomb threat

Firefighters and ambulances have arrived on the scene

No dark spots in history of Russia-Iraq relations, says Putin

The Russian president added that Russia and Iraq have always had very good relations

Witkoff to meet with European leaders, Zelensky in Berlin — WSJ

The decision to send Steven Witkoff to Berlin demonstrates the US administration's desire to overcome differences between Washington and Kiev regarding the terms of the peace deal, the newspaper believes

Sri Lanka's cyclone death toll reaches 643

Another 184 people are missing

Venezuela condemns indefinite freezing of Russian assets by EU

The EU's decision "grossly violates international law, threatens the legal security of investments and undermines peace initiatives in the region," Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said

Lukashenko pardons more than 100 citizens of various countries

Among them are citizens of Australia, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Lithuania, the United States, Ukraine, and Japan

Number of injured in shooting at Brown University grows to nine

The shooter is yet to be detained

UN commission arrives in southern Syria to record Israeli violations

The Al Hadath TV channel said the visit coincided with a new Israeli operation in the province, where six armored vehicles entered its southern regions and searched four houses.

EU's grandiose fraud, Putin's possible visit to Turkey: Peskov's statements

Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan exchanged views on Ukraine in depth

Some 11,270 diamonds hidden in hand luggage seized at Frankfurt Airport — DPA

Law enforcement officers detained a 53-year-old man who had flown to Frankfurt from Angola, and placed him in custody

Two people killed in shooting at Brown University — mayor of Providence

Another eight in critical status

Western actions on BiH have most negative impact on situation in Balkans — Lavrov

According to Russian Foreign Minister, the West "launched a layered campaign against the Serbs," wishing "to reformat the country through its unitarization by depriving Serbs and Croats of Dayton rights"

Kremlin aide says all of Donbass is Russian territory

Yury Ushakov cited a provision in the Russian Constitution

Trump says threatened Thailand and Cambodia with new duties

US President said he was sure that the duties is an important tool in the foreign policy for his administration

Russia starts using Force reconnaissance drone, resistant to electronic warfare

The device is equipped with thermal imaging equipment and can work around the clock

Kalashnikov ships first batch of MultiCam colored AK-12K rifles to customer

The concern highlighted that the compact AK-12K was specifically designed to meet the needs of the Airborne Troops

FBI officials held secret meetings with Kiev's top negotiator in US — media

According to the report, the meetings have caused alarm among Western officials who remain in the dark about their intent and purpose

'Paranoid' Hegseth removes Driscoll from Ukraine talks — media

According to the newspaper, Hegseth saw Driscoll as exceeding his authority during the Ukraine talks

US uses lighting bombs after attack by ISIS militants on patrol in Palmyra — TV

"American planes dropped lighting bombs in the sky over the city," Syria TV reported

Russia concerned about latest escalation in eastern provinces of DRC — MFA

The Ministry called on the involved parties to return to dialogue and adhere to their prior commitments within existing negotiation frameworks, advocating for a peace settlement

Ukraine conflict could lead to World War III, Trump warns

The US president said the conflict in Ukraine "doesn’t really affect the United States, unless it got out of control"

Over hundred people come to White House to rally against Trump's policies

Speakers criticized expelling illegal migrants

Korean sappers return to DPRK after completing combat mission in Kursk Region

The ceremony of welcoming their return took place on December 12

Washington will respond to ISIS over killing of US service members in Syria — Trump

This was an attack against the country, United States President said

EU’s Juncker tells UK’s Johnson EU not going to revisit achieved deal on Brexit

The EU is ready to cooperate with the UK to change the political declaration on future relations

Normalization in BiH requires immediate closure of high representative office — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister said that "It was obvious 20 years ago"

Zelensky maneuvering when he announces referendum on territories — Ukraine’s former PM

Nikolay Azarov also stressed that Vladimir Zelensky has never consulted the people of Ukraine

Japan to suspend support of new solar parks — newspaper

According to sources in the government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the decision was made over concerns about environmental damage and the negative attitude of the local population

Press review: Washington mulls Iran strike as Russia and US plan 15 joint ventures by 2025

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, June 19th

Versatility of Russian-Turkish relations helps to cope with difficulties — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov noted that it also allows to resist the pressure from third countries

Bank of Russia files a lawsuit against Euroclear in Moscow Arbitration Court

The amount of the claim against the depository was not specified in the statement