PREVIEW

Ukraine’s world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has returned home to visit Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital - which was devastated by a Russian missile strike on 8 July, killing two people.

Together with his wife Kateryna, he also visited a restored residential building in Irpin, for which he raised funds alongside UNITED24, President Zelensky's platform.

Afterwards, the couple met with young patients at the "Okhmatdyt" hospital and toured the facility, which had been struck by a Russian missile.

During his visit to Okhmatdyt, Usyk and his wife inspected the impact site, spoke with the medical staff, and met with the children undergoing treatment.

"The world needs to see the grief and massive destruction that Russia is causing to our country. But the world also needs to see the unity and solidarity of the Ukrainian people, which is inspiring. Over 300 people were injured at 'Okhmatdyt'. I wish everyone a speedy recovery. Thank you to everyone who is helping," he said.

The building he visited in Irpin also houses a gym. Here, coach Oleksii Dzhunkivskyi, a friend of Usyk, taught children boxing. After the full-scale invasion began, Dzhunkivskyi stayed in Irpin to help people until the very end and was killed by Russian soldiers.

After meeting the late boxing coach’s wife, Anastasia, Usyk said: "I decided to purchase all the necessary sports equipment so that the children can train in comfortable conditions. Although Oleksii is no longer with us, boxing will continue to exist in the gym he founded. The children will keep training, and perhaps one of them will become a new world champion."

Thanks to Usyk, 40 families were able to return to their homes. The boxing champion met with one such family. Diana, along with her husband and children, who left Irpin at the beginning of March 2022. The next day, an enemy shell hit their house, engulfing the fifth floor in flames. Their apartment was reduced to nothing but charred walls. The family dreamed of returning home, and now their dream has become a reality.