Top-tier basketball is officially returning to the Far East! A historic event will take place in Vladivostok on Wednesday—the city’s first-ever VTB United League game. The local Dynamo team will host the reigning champion and current league leader—Moscow’s CSKA.
The time difference between the capital and Vladivostok is 7 hours, so the game will begin in the morning Moscow time—at 12:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. local time).
Where: Russia, Vladivostok, KSK “Fetisov Arena”
When: October 14, 2026, 7:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. Moscow time)
Broadcast: Kinopoisk
A Historic Return and Home-Court Advantage
Vladivostok has been absent from the top league of Russian basketball for 13 long years—since the 2012–13 season. Prior to that, the region’s leading club, Spartak-Primorye, had spent six seasons in the top division (2005–2009, 2011–2013), twice reaching its best finish—7th place. Previously, the Primorye team hosted games at the “Olimpiets” Sports Complex, but now the game will reach a whole new level: the match will take place at the 6,000-seat “Fetisov Arena,” which since the fall of 2013 has been the home of the “Admiral” (KHL) and “Typhoon” (MHL).
For Dynamo, this match is a chance to improve upon last year’s home record. Strangely enough, during their Super League championship season, the Vladivostok team performed more confidently on the road than at home (10-3 on the road versus 8-5 at home), and in the quarterfinals, they even lost to Novosibirsk in both home games. Fans at Fetisov Arena are clearly expecting the League’s newcomers to put on a more formidable home performance and, in turn, will give their favorite team massive support in such an important and high-profile match.
A Test for the Champion: The Longest Road Trip
For CSKA, this round will be a serious test of endurance. On Monday, immediately after practice in Krylatskoye, the Army Men headed to Sheremetyevo Airport, from where they flew to Vladivostok on a charter flight. Immediately after this game, the Moscow team will fly to Krasnoyarsk, where they will face “Enisey” on October 17. This road trip is the longest and logistically most challenging for the Red-and-Blues in the current regular season.
Andreas Pistiolis took 14 players to the Far East. Guard Ivan Ukhov, who is continuing his recovery from a calf muscle injury, and Daniil Klyuchenkov remained in Moscow.
Roster Changes and a Long-Awaited Debut
The biggest news from the CSKA camp is the return of Amath M’Baye. The French forward, who previously played 105 VTB League games for CSKA from 2023 to 2025, spent last season in the EuroLeague with Paris Basketball. He has now traveled with the team and is preparing to make his debut for CSKA in the new season in Vladivostok.
Dynamo is also actively working to strengthen its roster. Just last week, the club announced the signing of Nigerian forward Daniel Utomi, whom fans know from his performances for Astana during the 2024–25 season (he spent the previous season with the Turkish club “Petkimsport”). However, the foreign player has not yet been officially registered for the season, and his participation in the match remains in question.
As for domestic transfers, Pavel Zakharov recently left the Primorye team to join Saratov’s Avtodor. At the same time, Dynamo’s rotation currently includes four players who came up through CSKA’s youth program: Oleg Akramov, Alexander Ershov, Ivan Strebkov, and Nikolai Sadikov. For them, the match against their former club will surely be a matter of pride.
A Flashback to 2012 and Family Ties
CSKA last visited Vladivostok in October 2012. Back then, as part of the PBL, the Army Men confidently defeated “Spartak-Primorye” 82–51. Of those who took the court in that game, two are still playing in the VTB League—Evgeny Voronov and Andrei Vorontsevich (both played for CSKA at the time; they now play for MBA and Zenit, respectively). Center Daniil Solovyov, however, who faced CSKA in 2012 while playing for the Primorye club, will now face the Muscovites as Dynamo’s sports director.
There is another subtle yet compelling storyline in this rivalry. The teams’ leaders are connected through mutual friends: the younger brother of “Dynamo” guard Jaylen Blackmon is the best friend of CSKA’s star player, Melo Trimble. Because of this friendship, Blackmon has closely followed VTB League games in recent seasons and has rooted specifically for the Army club. Now it’s time for them to face off against each other.
Stats and Breakdowns
3-0: CSKA is the only team in the League to start this regular season undefeated. This is the first time in the past five years that the leader has made such a dominant and confident start; previously, at least two teams were neck and neck at the outset.
11.3: CSKA leads the league in average steals per game.
16 out of 17: Moscow head coach Andreas Pistiolis won 16 of 17 opening games in his first full season at the helm of CSKA (2024–25). His only loss during that stretch came at the hands of Sergei Kozin’s team (“Nizhny Novgorod”), which he now coaches as head coach of Dynamo.
50 rebounds: On October 4, Dynamo set their season-high for rebounds in a single game against Samara.
5 steals: Far East guard Nate Pollard recorded 5 steals in that same game against Samara—an individual record for the opening stretch of the season.
Showdown: Melo Trimble vs. Jalen Blackmon
Fans in Vladivostok are in for a treat, a thrilling matchup between two guards. Melo Trimble is off to a stellar start—he currently ranks second in the league in both scoring average (20.0 points) and efficiency (25.0 points). Dynamo will counter with the offensive firepower of Jalen Blackmon, who rounds out the Top 5 in scoring in the tournament with 19.0 points per game. We’ll find out soon whose skills will prove more decisive on this historic day for Far Eastern basketball.
Direct Quotes
Dynamo Head Coach Sergei Kozin:
– We have a tough schedule: we started the season with a game against UNICS, last season’s runner-up, and now we’re hosting the reigning champion—CSKA. CSKA hasn’t suffered a single loss in the league so far, so we’re well aware of the caliber of our upcoming opponent. We have time to prepare, but right now the most important thing for us is to improve our own game, our chemistry, and our on-court understanding—both on offense and defense. Of course, we’re analyzing specific aspects of CSKA’s play, but for now we’re focusing primarily on refining our team play.
I do have experience with unexpected victories over CSKA and other strong teams in the League. The main thing is to believe in ourselves, in our system, and in the work we do every day. It’s important for the players to trust the coaching staff and take the court confident that they can compete with any opponent. Only through hard work and total dedication can we pull off an upset against even a powerhouse like CSKA.
For our first home game at Fetisov Arena, I’m looking forward above all to an incredible atmosphere and a packed arena. I’ve heard a lot about how much basketball is supported in Vladivostok. It’s very important for the players to feel that energy from the fans and get an extra boost of emotion from them. I hope that together we can put on a good game and, perhaps, pull off an upset.
CSKA Head Coach Andreas Pistiolis:
– We need to put the last game behind us and focus on our next opponent. We also need to overcome the challenges associated with traveling and preparing for the upcoming match. We have great respect for Dynamo and must be ready for a tough game.
