Former heavyweight world champions and brothers, Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, have expressed their readiness to give their lives in defense of their native Ukraine against Russian invaders.
The iconic boxing brothers immediately took up arms in response to the news of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion plans and are reported to be on his list of targets, among 24 others.
Images of the pair have surfaced on the outskirts of Kyiv, wearing bulletproof vests and posing in front of a van painted with the words ‘Iron Kyiv’.
Vitali, who held the WBC heavyweight title between 2008 and his retirement in 2012, currently serves as the Mayor of Kyiv.
Wladimir, the unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and Ring magazine champion from 2012 to 2015, has also joined the military to offer his support.
In an interview with Sky News, Vitali previously mentioned that their group had already encountered and neutralized six Russian soldiers while seeking separatist groups.
In a recent update to CNN, Vitali stated, “I am very proud to see how patriotic people are. We’re not interested in how strong the Russian army is; we’re ready to fight and we’re ready to die for our home country and for our families, because it’s our home. It’s our future, and somebody wants to come to our home and steal our future from us.”