Russia sends a first strong signal defeating Iran, Belarus and Cuba in Ufa

If you wish to publish an Italian translation of this article, any of our other articles, or any part of them, please cite the original source. PLAGIARISM IS ILLEGAL!

Russia has taken its first significant step toward a return to the international volleyball scene, and it has done so without dropping a single match.

At the friendly tournament in Ufa, Konstantin Bryanskiy’s team defeated Iran, Belarus and Cuba, winning all three matches and conceding just one set.
On paper, it was an impressive start.
In reality, however, the tournament was about something bigger than the results themselves: it was Russia’s first sustained series of international tests since FIVB lifted its restrictions and opened the way for the men’s national team to return to official competition, including the 2027 Volleyball Nations League.

There had been one notable exception.
On June 1, 2025, Russia faced Serbia in Belgrade at the Channel One Cup, winning 3-1. But that match was a friendly and did not represent a return to the official international calendar. Ufa, therefore, carried a very different meaning.

The opening test immediately produced a 3-1 victory over Iran, 25:16, 23:25, 25:20, 25:22.
A day later, Bryanskiy changed several elements of his lineup and Russia had little trouble against Belarus, completing a 3-0 victory, 25:23, 25:20, 25:16.

The final match was the most intriguing. Cuba pushed Russia much harder than the final 3-0 score might suggest.
In front of 3,100 spectators, the hosts won the first set 25-21, but the second became a marathon. Russia led 24-22, only for Cuba to fight its way back into contention. The set eventually reached 34-32, with the Russians surviving several set points before finally taking a 2-0 lead.
Cuba had another opportunity in the third. The visitors led 17-14, but Russia responded immediately, drawing level at 17-17. A block by Dmitry Volkov against Alejandro González, followed by a triple block to stop Miguel Ángel López and an attack error from Robertlandy Simón, helped swing the momentum decisively. Russia moved ahead 21-18 and closed out the match without allowing Cuba back into it.
Maxim Sapozhkov led all scorers with 18 points, while Volkov contributed 14.
For Cuba, Marlon Yant finished with 14, López added 11 and Simón scored six.

The statistics also reveal how competitive the match was. Cuba actually enjoyed the better reception numbers, 67% to Russia’s 60%, while the Russians made the difference at the net with a 10-6 advantage in blocks.
Attack points were almost identical, 41-40 in Russia’s favour, while Cuba committed more errors, 30 compared with 24.

Still, coach Bryanskiy was careful not to turn three victories in Ufa into a declaration that Russia is already back among the world’s elite.
For the Russian coach, these matches were primarily an opportunity to evaluate his players and begin rebuilding a national team that has been absent from the highest level of international volleyball.

The circumstances were also far from identical for the four teams.
Iran and Cuba arrived with recent international experience, including their participation in the Volleyball Nations League, while they are also preparing for their respective continental championships in September. Russia, by contrast, assembled specifically for this tournament, with much of Bryanskiy’s squad coming from Dynamo Moscow, the club he also coaches.
That made Ufa as much a laboratory as a competition.
Bryanskiy used the three matches to examine different combinations and introduce new faces, including Roman Romanovskiy and Omar Kurbanov. At times against Cuba, the court was effectively occupied by a Moscow Dynamo-based lineup, giving the coach an opportunity to assess combinations that could become important in the future.

One of the most symbolic moments came at the net. Romanovskiy, the young Russian middle blocker, has openly described Simón as one of his idols.
In Ufa, the 24-year-old found himself playing directly against the Cuban legend, who at 39 continues to represent his country and is still dreaming of reaching the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. After the match, Simón reportedly promised, through Yant, to send his jersey to the young Russian.
It was a small gesture, but one that perfectly captured what this tournament represented: a meeting between generations, and perhaps between two different eras of international volleyball.

Russia leaves Ufa as the only team with three victories and just one set lost. Iran, Cuba and Belarus each finished with one win. The numbers are encouraging, the atmosphere is changing, and Russia has finally begun to rebuild its international identity.
But the real examination will come later.
The 2027 VNL will provide the first opportunity to measure this new Russia against the very best — and that is when the three victories in Ufa will truly begin to mean something.

__________________

👀|QUICK LINKS
• All International news 🗞️
• Multimedia
• Facebook
• Instagram

__________________