Three-weight boxing world champion Vasyl Lomachenko posts picture of himself in full Ukrainian military uniform after returning to his home country to enlist in the territorial army and help fight off Russian troops
- Vasyl Lomachenko has enlisted in the Ukrainian territorial army to fight Russia
- The boxer initially left for Greece but then returned to his home city of Odessa
- He has now posted a picture of himself wearing full military uniform in Ukraine
- Russian troops invaded last week and there have been hundreds of casualties
Ukrainian boxing hero Vasyl Lomachenko has returned home and enlisted in the territorial army in a bid to help defend his people from Russian soldiers.
The 34-year-old, who has been boxing world champion in three different weight divisions, was initially reported to have left for Greece in the wake of Russia’s invasion, but has now returned to join the battle.
Re-posting a message from local mayor Vitaly Hrazhdan, who is also pictured, Lomachenko shared a photo on his Facebook page, dressed in military uniform.
The message reads: ‘The Belgorod-Dniester Territorial Defense Battalion has been formed and armed. Boxer Vasyl Lomachenko is in the defense.’
According to reports, it has been a busy few days for the boxing legend, whose journey back to Ukraine from Greece was a long and convoluted one.
It is said he had to go first to Bucharest in Romania, before travelling across into Ukraine to get to his home city of Odessa.
Lomachenko is not the only famous Ukrainian boxer to have swapped a life of luxury for the front line, with both Wladimir and Vitaly Klitschko joining the fight too.
Vasyl Lomachenko (left) has enlisted in the Ukrainian territorial army to fight against Russia
The 34-year-old boxer (left) has been world champion in three different weight divisions
Overnight, blasts were heard in several of Ukraine’s cities including the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv, the country’s second biggest city and Chernihiv, north of the capital.
It comes at the start of a crucial 24 hours for the country with tensions at their highest following a threat by Russian President Vladimir Putin to put his nuclear deterrent forces on ‘alert’.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Kyiv and Moscow will hold peace talks at the northern border with Belarus on Monday, but he has said frankly that he held little hope that the conflict would be resolved. Zelensky will not be part of the delegation in person.
Ukraine’s health ministry said on Sunday that 352 civilians, including 14 children, had been killed since Russia’s invasion of the country last week. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a ‘special operation’.
UKRAINE-RUSSIA WAR LIVE: Get the latest news on Putin’s invasion
Lomachenko initially left Ukraine when the war began but he is now back in his home country