Oleksandr Onishchenko was the junior champion of Ukraine

The Ukrainian Boxing Federation announced, on Wednesday, the death of the Ukrainian national boxer Oleksandr Onishchenko in a battle near the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where he was fighting with his country’s army against Russian forces.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the federation announced that “Alexander died near Bakhmut, defending the Ukrainian homeland from the Russian enemy,” expressing “sincere condolences to the family.”

Oleksandr Onishchenko was the Ukrainian junior champion and won several tournaments held in his country, such as the Carpathian Sports, Kozelny and Arsionov competitions. “An eternal memory of all those who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of our country,” the Ukrainian Boxing Federation said in a statement.

According to the data of the Ukrainian Ministry of Sports, more than 260 athletes died in Ukraine as a result of the war caused by the Russian invasion, most of them volunteers in the army. Russia’s 24 February 2022 military attack on Ukraine was justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, by the need for Ukraine to be “demilitarized” and disarmed for Russia’s security.

The United Nations presents, as has been confirmed, since the beginning of the war, 8,534 civilians killed and 14,370 wounded, emphasizing that these numbers are far from the truth.

by Lusa