Once again Kostyuk did not shake hands with Avanesyan after her victory, as she has done with all Russian and Belarusian players since the invasion.
Wimbledon banned players from the two countries in 2022 before reinstating them last year, while other tournaments have allowed such players to compete under a neutral flag.
In a passionate news conference, Kostyuk also questioned the role of the media in the West, suggesting the war has been allowed to fall out of the news.
“So they want the drama,” she said. “They wanted news. They wanted all this heating between players and everything.
“I’m here to remind everyone all the time that it’s still on, and it should be stopped.
“The reality that I’m living in, is everything is very far from being over.
“We’ve never been in a good position because it’s a completely unequal and terrible war.
“We’re just in survival mode for the last two years. People are incredibly depressed now and tired.
“I don’t feel like it’s stopping any time soon, and I don’t feel like anyone is doing anything about it.”
Kostyuk’s compatriot Lesia Tsurenko also played on Friday but was beaten 6-0 6-0 by Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka.
Tsurenko said she receives “bad messages” on social media when she posts about the war.
“People don’t want to talk about war,” she said. “People don’t want to hear bad news. People are annoyed if I post something.
“But it’s very tough to explain if you don’t feel what I feel and how other Ukrainians feel.”
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