Oleksandr Usyk has taken arms in Ukraine to help defend his country against the Russian invasion.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war last week, Ukraine ’s interior ministry says 352 civilians have been killed, including 14 children, while more than 1600 more people have been wounded.
Boxing brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko - who since 2014 has served as the mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv - immediately vowed to join in military combat to protect their country. Indeed, Wladimir has made a heartfelt plea to other nations to help halt the invasion before it is too late.
And now Usyk, who was in the process of negotiating a rematch with Anthony Joshua having taken the British fighter's world WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles last year, has turned to his focus to a different type of defence.
On Monday morning the @ua_industrial Twitter account, which has been set up with the aim of providing updates on the conflict, posted a picture of Usyk, 35, alongside three other soldiers. The man dubbed 'The Cat' was dressed in military gear and armed with a gun.
"Oleksandr Usyk also enrolled in the SAR," read the Tweet.
Usyk was in Sheffield last week to promote the upcoming boxing game eSports Boxing Club when Putin launched his military assault, after years of political tension between the two countries.
It led to accusations he had intentionally travelled to the UK to avoid the conflict, a notion he refuted by posting an Instagram video explaining he had promptly headed home.
"Dear Ukraine and dear Ukrainians, some wrote about me running away. Not true, I had a work trip and now I’m back. I’m home," Usyk said in the video.
"Friends, we need to unite together and overcome this, because we are faced with exceptional difficulties.
"I’m very overcome with emotions and I’m very concerned for my country and for our people. Friends we must stop this war and we must do it together."
And rival Joshua has pledged his support, telling IFL TV : "I’ve learned sports and politics go hand in hand.
"They are powerful voices and it is good they are speaking up.
‘"They are not pushing for war, they are saying let’s find peace so good luck to them."
Another Ukranian boxer, Vasyl Lomachenko, has also taken arms.
