Four-time world champion Vitaly Merinov joined the Ukrainian army in the early days of the Russian invasion. He died defending Ukraine “until his last breath.”
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The Ukrainian Vitaly Merinov, world champion of kick boxing four times, he died as a result of clashes with Russian forces. Wounded in combat, he succumbed to his wounds and died in hospital.
The information was released by the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk, where Merinov was a member of the executive committee. “He defended Ukraine to his last breath”wrote Ruslan Martsynkiv in a post on the Facebook account.
It is an irreparable loss for the Ivano-Frankivsk community.”
According to Martsynkiv, Merinov joined the Ukrainian army in the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion in February last year. The athlete was wounded in combat, but after a recovery period he returned to the battlefield. The soldier leaves behind his wife and his two-year-old daughter.
Three victims, two icons on Putin’s blacklist, several Olympic and world champions: who are the athletes fighting for Ukraine
In recent months, several Ukrainian athletes have been killed during clashes with Russian forces. This is the case of Maksym Kagal, also world champion in kick boxing, who died in March fighting in the city of Mariupol.
Source: Observadora
