By: Sean Crose
Former WBC list turned mayor of Kiev Vitali Klitschko has stated that he will fight to defend his homeland Ukraine against the current Russian military invasion. “I have no choice,” he said Thursday. “I have to do it.” On Friday, it appeared Klitschko was keeping his word as photos emerged of the former boxer wearing fatigues and holding a machine gun. With Kiev now under attack, the legendary boxer turned mayor turned soldier will no doubt be a target for the forces of Russian President Wladimir Putin, the man behind the invasion of Ukraine.
Klitschko, a 50-year-old father, became mayor of Kiev in 2014. Since retiring from boxing in 2013, he has earned a reputation for being as fearless in politics as he was in the ring. For example, the same year as he retired, Klitschko was assaulted during an outdoor protest, only to continue speaking in front of a crowd. Now, however, the man is very openly facing the biggest challenge of his life, as well as Europe’s biggest direct military challenge since the Second World War. Like Kevin Iole’s Yahoo! said that, Klitschko “could have signed his own death warrant.”
However, if that is proven to be true, there is little evidence that the man will ever regret it. After all, he also served in the Ukrainian army. Plus, Klitschko had a career in the ring that saw him face opponents like the great Lennox Lewis. Some people are simply born tough, and Klitschko seems to be one of them. Photos circulating on the internet of him dressed only and equipped for combat may have turned a back-up target. And being targeted by a warlord like Putin is not the same as being targeted by a running candidate. However, those who have followed Klitschko know he’s not the type to back down.
The same can be said for Wladimir, Klitschko’s younger brother. Like his brother, the younger Klitschko is an iconic former heavyweight player. He also did his own military service. Like Vitali, Wladimir Klitschko simply did not meet as a person to avoid conflict. The actions of both men would certainly make them considered heirs in their homeland, although most of their countrymen would probably not want to consider the two brothers as martyrs. religion.
While a military attack on Ukraine from Russia should come as no surprise, Putin’s aggression and sheer scale of aggression caught the world off guard. Most analysts who speak on the matter make it clear that they believe there is no way that Ukrainian forces can best defeat the Russian army on the battlefield. The Ukrainian army is said to be fighting well, however, it is worth noting that Kiev is currently under direct attack. If Kiev falls, Russia will take Ukraine’s capital, a city of millions with a illustrious history, to boot. Without a doubt, Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko are keeping that in mind as they engage personally in skirmishes with the enemy.
