The solider spoke during a press conference after he was captured
A captured Russian soldier has admitted that his perception of his country’s invasion of Ukraine was changed after he saw boxers Oleksandr Usyk and Vasyl Lomachenko take up arms to defend Ukraine.
The soldier admitted that Usyk and Lomachenko were his favourite boxers after they both returned to Ukraine to fight back against the ongoing Russian invasion.
Usyk, who postponed his training in preparation for his rematch against Anthony Joshua told CNN last week that if needed, he would take the life of a Russian soldier in order to defend his country.
“If they will want to take my life, or the lives of my close ones, I will have to do it,” Usyk 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.
“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?”
During a press conference released by Ukrainian officials, the captured Russian revealed that his doubts about Vladimir Putin’s invasion plans first surfaced after he saw the two world-renowned boxers fighting against him.
Incredible video released by officials in Ukraine as a captured Russian soldier tells a press conference that he started to question what he'd been told after seeing his favourite boxers Oleksandr Usyk and Vasyl Lomachenko signing up to fight against him… pic.twitter.com/0unQTLSrCU
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) March 6, 2022
The solider also explained how he, and many other Russians, had been told by the state media that had portrayed Ukraine as a country that needed rescuing from nationalists and “Nazis.”
“Literally I’m 100 per cent wrong now. Don’t judge too harshly,” he said.
“We were told Ukraine was dominated by fascists…Nazis had seized power. We did not know the situation for sure.
“When we entered this territory I watched the address of your boxers. Back home I always loved watching them.
They said ‘we didn’t call you here’. I feel shame that we came to this country.”
Related links:
- Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua rematch in doubt due to Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Vitali Klitschko admits he has killed six people defending Ukraine
- Klitschko brothers on Vladimir Putin’s 23-man ‘kill list’ following Ukraine invasion
