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 defence.’
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.
Pictures of the athlete sometimes known as “Hi-Tech” due to his seemingly advanced, highly mobile ring style, have been making the rounds of the internet, as Lomachenko is seen dressed in military attire and holding a rifle. What effect if any this has on the 16-2 Lomachenko’s potential fight with lightweight titlist George Kambosos remain to be seen, as at the moment there are far more serious matters to attend to.
