Ukrainian heavyweight boxing icon Vitali Klitschko has issued a message of defiance to Vladimir Putin and says he is ‘ready to die’ to protect his country from Russia’s invasion.
Putin launched a military invasion of neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday and a 40-mile-long convoy of Russian troops and tanks has now reached the outskirts of Kyiv, with Putin having launched an indiscriminate bombing campaign on the country’s capital, as well as Kharkiv, over the past few days.
Klitschko, who is the Mayor of Kyiv, confirmed on Tuesday evening that ‘the enemy is on the outskirts of the capital’ and that the Ukrainian military are ‘preparing to defend Kyiv’.
‘Our armed forces, Territorial Defence Forces, are fighting heroically for our land,’ he continued.
‘Fortifications and checkpoints have been built at the entrances to the city. I ask everyone to keep calm. Do not go outside unnecessarily and stay in shelters in case of alarm.’
Klitschko, along with his brother Wladimir, has reportedly been placed on Putin’s 24-man ‘kill list’ of high-profile Ukrainian targets but the 50-year-old insists he will not stop fighting against Russia’s invasion even if it means losing his life.
Asked if he had a message for Putin, Klitschko told CNN earlier in the day: ‘We were in the USSR, we don’t want to go back to the Russian empire.
‘We see our future as a democratic, modern, European country. That’s it, no discussion. That’s our goal and we’re fighting for that. We’re fighting for our country. We’re fighting for our dream.’
He continued: ‘We’ve never been so patriotic. I’m proud of our army. Our Ukrainian army stayed strong in front of one of the strongest armies in the world. Our soldiers are heroes, they showed great performance.
‘Right now, so many thousands of civilians come and help with civilian defence. People come and take the weapons and are ready to defend our homes, defend our families and defend our future and country.
‘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.
More Trending
‘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.’
Asked how long he believes Kyiv can hold out for, Klitschko added: ‘I’m not ready to give you a clear answer. So long, so long time if we’re still alive.’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier said defending Kyiv was the government’s key priority in a video message to his nation: ‘Kyiv is special. If we protect Kyiv, we will protect the state. This is the heart of our country, and it must keep beating.’
MORE: Klitschko brothers added to Vladimir Putin’s 24-man ‘kill list’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
