A Ukrainian two-time Olympic gold medalist has joined the ranks of his home country’s territorial defense battalion as Ukraine continues to fight off Russia’s invasion.
Vasiliy Lomachenko, 34 and ranked as ESPN’s No. 8 pound-for-pound boxer, was pictured in military uniform on Sunday, confirming that he had joined the Belgorod-Dnestrovsky Territorial Defense Battalion in Ukraine.
KYIV RALLIES BEHIND MAYOR VITALI KLITSCHKO, EX-WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
“We are so proud of our boxers, our true boxing champions and champs in this war,” World Boxing Council Ukraine wrote on Instagram. “We are proud to be Ukrainians.”
Lomachenko was in Greece last week when Russian troops invaded Ukraine on Thursday morning local time, delaying his journey home as flights into the country were halted. After traveling through Romania, Lomachenko reached his family outside of Odessa on Saturday, according to ESPN.
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The Olympic medalist is the latest Ukrainian boxer to join the fight. Hall of Fame boxer Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and his brother Wladimir Klitschko, also a Hall of Fame boxer, announced last week they would be fighting on behalf of their country.
