Vasyl Lomachenko: Ukrainian Boxer joins military to fight against Russian invaders

Vasyl Lomachenko, a Ukrainian boxer, has taken up arms to help defend his country from Russian invaders.

The 34-year-old has been pictured with an M16 assault rifle, having joined the Belgorod-Dniester Terror Defence Battalion in his hometown.

Lomachenko, who is one of the best boxers on the planet, returned home to enlist in the Territorial Army to help defend his people against Russian soldiers.

The pound-for-pound boxing star was initially said to have left for Greece in the wake of the Russian invasion but has now returned to take part in the fight.

He reposted a message from local mayor Vitaly Hrazhdan, who shared a photo of himself and the boxer dressed in military uniform on his Facebook page.

Lomachenko’s post read: “The Belgorod-Dniestr Territorial Defense Battalion has been formed and armed. Boxer Vasyl Lomachenko is on the defensive.”

Last week, Russia invaded Ukraine after weeks of rising political tensions in the region.

The conflict escalated on Friday, with the fighting reaching the capital city of Kyiv as Russian President Vladimir Putin put his nuclear deterrent forces on ‘alert’ on Sunday.

Ukraine’s health ministry said on Sunday that 352 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed since Russia’s invasion of the country last Thursday.