World-famous boxing champs fighting Russians for Ukraine Brothers Wladimir (left) and Vitali (right) Klitschko in a 2012 photo with their championship belts. (Photo by Vergo, Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain, Released)
A pair of world-famous boxing champion brothers have joined the fight in Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
Brothers Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko were among the thousands of Ukrainian civilians who had volunteered by Thursday to aid in their country’s defense against Russian invaders.
The pair of boxing champions appeared in a video together on Thursday, during which they said “We must stay united against this Russian aggression. Don’t let it continue happening in Ukraine. Don’t let it happen in Europe and eventually in the world. United we are strong. Support Ukraine.”
Former Boxing Champions, The Klitschko Brothers, are staying in Ukraine to fight. Vitali Klitschko is the mayor of Kiev. #UkraineInvasion #UkraineUnderAttack #UkraineWar #UkraineRussie pic.twitter.com/emcvNoqCf6
— Flash News (@flash_news11) February 26, 2022
Both brothers have had widely successful boxing careers and won numerous heavyweight title fights. In 2011, the brothers were added to the Guinness World Records with the record for most boxing heavyweight world title fights won by brothers, with 30 title fight wins between them. The brothers had such a sustained period of success that their combined winning streaks had come to be known in the boxing world as the “Klitschko era.”
Eldest brother Vitali Klitschko went on to become the mayor of the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. It was in this capacity that he continued to serve when Russian forces launched their full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday.
On Thursday, when asked by a reporter if he would take up arms, the eldest brother said, “I don’t have another choice, I have to do that.”
Former heavyweight boxer and current Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko says he will take up arms against Russian forces:
“I don’t have another choice, I have to do that.” pic.twitter.com/cwv01Iih2I— The Recount (@therecount) February 24, 2022
Within hours of announcing his decision to join in the fighting, photographs began to circulate of Vitali Klitschko armed with a machine gun.
Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko defending his country 🇺🇦 #IStandWithUkraine #SlavaUkraini pic.twitter.com/0cOHOBVIoy
— Natia Seskuria (@nseskuria) February 25, 2022
Wladimir Klitschko has also continued to rally support for Ukraine.
Vitali Klitschko tweeted a video message shared by his brother saying, “Wladimir Klitschko appealed to the democratic world to immediately help stop Russia’s war against Ukraine. Friends, distribute to your English-speaking acquaintances. The whole world – in all possible ways – must focus its efforts on ending this war!”
Vladimir Klychko lance un appel au monde démocratique de mettre fin incessamment à la guerre de la Russie contre l'Ukraine. https://t.co/mCkYiGjmUz
— UKRAINEambMAROC (@UKRinMA) February 26, 2022
Vitali Klitschko isn’t the only civilian Ukrainian official who has taken up arms against Russia.
In an interview with CNN on Friday, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, armed himself with an AKS-74U rifle.
Former Ukrainian President @poroshenko takes up a Kalashnikov rifle in #Kyiv alongside civilian defense forces – @cnn#kyiev #UkraineRussia #Russia #Ukraine #UkraineInvasion pic.twitter.com/O4U2J4F7W3
— MOMMENTOnews (@mommentonews) February 25, 2022
Poroshenko also said the particular territorial defense battalion he had joined consists of about 300 civilians and is armed with four British-Swedish designed NLAW anti-tank missile launchers and two machine guns.
#Ukraine : The Ex-president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko demonstrating his AKS-74U assault rifle.
He claims their territorial defense battalion of 300 people right now operates only 4 NLAW anti-tank launchers and 2 machine guns. pic.twitter.com/kbW2MtVrLp— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) February 25, 2022
Two other members of Kyiv’s city council announced they had also joined the defense on Thursday. The two shared a video of themselves in uniforms, with rifles on a bus.
🇺🇦Two members of the #Kyiv council joined the #Ukraine Territorial Defense Forces.
pic.twitter.com/zRnaeR74lO— Ukraine News 🇺🇦 (@UkraineNews0) February 25, 2022
