An Olympic gold medalist serving as Ukraine's first Black member of parliament is urging fellow countrymen to resist the Russian invasion, highlighting the nation's vulnerable but little-known African Ukrainian population.
The big picture: Zhan Beleniuk has spoken openly about racism he's faced in Ukraine after bringing home the Greco-Roman middleweight gold last year in the Tokyo games. But experts say he and other Black Ukrainians are expressing their loyalty to the country amid fears they could become special targets for Russian occupiers.
