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Oleksandr Usyk is the latest athlete to take to social media to plead against Russia's invasion of his home country Ukraine.
'The Cat' was expected to rematch Anthony Joshua in a highly-anticipated bout later this year. He was recently seen attending football matches in the U.K. and was expected to start training camp shortly.
However, those plans have been completely thrown into disarray. Following Russia's invasion of his home country, he's returned home to Ukraine to likely be with family and friends. He recently took to Instagram to post a simple message.
Usky simply captioned the video with "NO WAR." The Heavyweight Champion then briefly spoke in a video in Ukrainian alongside the caption.
Oleksandr Usyk isn't the only boxer to plead against a war with Russia
Oleksandr Usyk is far from the only competitor to currently be protesting a war with Russia. Former Heavyweight Champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko have both made multiple posts on social media about the impending invasion.
Both legends are known for their love of their country and that is shown in what they've done since leaving the sport. Vitali got into politics and became the Mayor of the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv. He's been one of the rallying voices against Russia over the past few months.
Wladimir, on the other hand, is enrolled in the reserve ranks of the military. The younger Klitschko brother enrolled in the military a few weeks ago as the threat of war grew greater. Earlier today, Russia declared war on Ukraine, making the threat a reality.
Today, the brothers took to social media to make an emotional plea. The duo, who have since become symbols against Russian aggression, stated that the country as well as Europe must stay united during this time. Wladimir was the only one who spoke in the video. He said:
"I'm calling to all international partners to observe this tragedy that is happening nowadays in Ukraine. And this senseless war, which is not going to have any winners, but losers. I just want to tell you, we must stay united against this aggression, against Russian aggression. Don't let it happen, continue happening in Ukraine, don't let it happen in Europe, and eventually in the world."
