Oleksandr Usyk admits he may have to kill to protect himself and his family after enlisting with the Kyiv Territorial Defence.
The heavyweight world champion, along with his close friend and fellow boxer Vasiliy Lomachenko, has taken up arms to defend their home country Ukraine from a Russian invasion.
Speaking to CNN, Usyk revealed he has been forced to consider the potential consequences of fighting for his survival.
“If they will want to take my life, or the lives of my close ones, I will have to do it,” he said.
“But I don’t want that. I don’t want to shoot, I don’t want to kill anybody, but if they will be killing me, I will have no choice.”
The Ukrainian believes his boxing background, and the sense of control that has brought, has enabled him stay calm despite the traumatic circumstances.
Usyk insists he is not scared about what has happened, or what may be to come, but that his overriding emotion is one of confusion at how this war has come about.
“It has helped me to be calm and mentally prepared,” Usyk said. “And it helps me to help others who are panicking and nervous.
“Maybe it’ll sound sentimental, but my soul belongs to the Lord and my body and my honour belong to my country, to my family. So there is no fear, absolutely no fear. There’s just bafflement - how could this be in the 21st century?”
He added: “Russian people don’t really know exactly what’s going on here. They’re not seeing what’s going on. They are victims of their president.”
