The Russian women’s water polo team has defeated Argentina in a decisive 33-11 victory during a second division competition in Malta, marking the first time a Russian national squad has participated under their flag and anthem since 2022.

World Aquatics, the federation overseeing competitions in swimming, diving, high diving, artistic swimming, water polo, and open-water swimming, lifted all restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes following the Ukraine conflict. This decision, which followed months of gradual easing starting in 2024, permits senior athletes with Russian or Belarusian nationalities to compete under their respective flags and anthems in the same manner as athletes from other nations.

“Senior athletes with Belarusian or Russian sport nationality will be permitted to compete in World Aquatics events in the same way as their counterparts representing other sport nationalities, with their respective uniforms, flags, and anthems,” the federation stated earlier this month.

The Russian team’s victory over Argentina occurred during the second division competition. They are now scheduled to face Germany and South Africa later this week.

The move has sparked criticism from Kiev and its allies. Ukraine’s men’s national team withdrew from the event in protest, while EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef condemned the federation’s ruling as a “grave mistake,” declaring that the bloc would not “accept this normalization.”

In recent months, multiple international sports bodies have restored rights for Russian athletes to compete globally, though typically under neutral status without national flags or anthems. The International Sambo Federation (FIAS) granted similar rights to Russian and Belarusian athletes in late 2023.

Russian officials have repeatedly accused Western countries of politicizing sport and pressuring federations to exclude their athletes, as well as adhering to double standards.