The Klitschko brothers ready to go to war 0:48
(CNN) --
Boxers Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko, who were born in Ukraine, are childhood friends.
They grew up dreaming of fighting their way to fame and glory, and together they conquered the world with their fists.
Between the two of them, Usyk, 35, and Lomachenko, 34, won three Olympic gold medals and have since established themselves among the world's elite boxers.
But now they face a very different, existential fight for the future of their country.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Usyk and Lomachenko traveled to Ukraine, took up arms and joined the Territorial Defense Battalion.
Speaking via video link from a basement in Kyiv, Usyk exclusively told CNN that he must not only watch out for invading forces, but looters as well.
He says that he is prepared to kill people, if necessary.
“If they are going to want to take my life, or the lives of my relatives, I will have to do it,” he said.
"But I don't want that. I don't want to shoot, I don't want to kill anyone, but if they're going to kill me, I won't have a choice."
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Usyk's representative, Egis Klimas, helped coordinate the interview and translated for Usyk, who does not speak English.
Despite the terrifying situation many Ukrainians now find themselves in, Usyk says he is not afraid.
“It may sound sentimental,” he explained, “but my soul belongs to the Lord and my body and my honor belong to my country, to my family.
So I am not afraid, absolutely not afraid.
There is only bewilderment.
How could this be possible in the 21st century?
Usyk is not in the Ukraine to box right now, but the noble art is still useful right now.
"It's helped me stay calm and mentally prepared," he said, "and helps me help others who are panicked and nervous."
These are the companies that have left Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine
Oleksandr Usyk told CNN that his "country and my honor are more important to me than a championship belt."
Both men were out of the country when Russia invaded;
Usyk had been in London filming footage for an upcoming video game.
He had intended to fly home just a few hours after hostilities began, but with airports closed, he flew to Warsaw in Poland and drove almost 800 kilometers back home and across the border into Kyiv.
Lomachenko had been visiting a monastery in Greece and returned home the next day.
Rather than fly directly to her hometown of Odessa, she traveled to Bucharest in Romania, then drove nine hours to the port and took a ferry to Ukraine.
Their representative told CNN that he didn't know they were thinking of taking up arms until they had already signed up for the defense battalion.
Former world boxing champions Vitali Klichkó, who is also the mayor of Kyiv, and Wladimir Klitschko, have also taken up arms in defense of their country.
"The bombing (in Ukraine) is crazy," says Oleksandr Usyk
Lomachenko was scheduled to speak to CNN at the same time as Usyk but did not return calls from his representative at the time.
Early Wednesday morning local time, Klimas confirmed to CNN that Lomachenko was safe and sound.
He and Usyk remain close: They are godparents to each other's children and celebrate family birthdays together.
Six days after the war, Usyk knows that there is no longer a safe place in Ukraine.
"The bombing is crazy," Usyk said.
"They just bombed the city of Mariupol, one of my friends got a rocket on his roof. [The Russians] aren't messing around."
As the fight intensifies, so does the debate over whether Russian athletes should be sanctioned for their country's actions.
Usyk chose not to comment directly, suggesting that there are innocent people on both sides of the conflict.
"The Russians really don't know exactly what is going on here. They are not seeing what is going on. They are victims of their president [Vladimir Putin]," Usyk said.
Usyk won his heavyweight title belts in a terrific display in September 2021 against former champion Anthony Joshua.
Usyk just became the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion of the world.
In September, he defeated Anthony Joshua in London in an excellent boxing exhibition to reclaim the belts.
His manager says talks of a rematch this summer are at an advanced stage.
Lightweight Lomachenko has previously been a world champion in three different weight classes and was planning to fight George Kambosos in Australia in June.
But understandably, boxing is the last thing on their minds.
"I really don't know when I'm going to get back in the ring," said Usyk, who looked exhausted and emotional in his CNN interview.
"My country and my honor are more important to me than a championship belt."
Vitali Klitschko, former world boxing champion, is the mayor of Kyiv and is ready to go to war
Terrifying images of the Russian bombing of Kharkiv 1:14
Usyk has three children, and during the interview, the sound of young voices could be heard playing behind him in the basement.
He says family, friends and neighbors have taken shelter together.
"When there's an air raid alarm, we hide. Of course, it's fun when there are a lot of us here, we're having fun. But we're forcing ourselves to have fun."
They are trying to keep the environment light for the kids.
But in a separate conversation with CNN, Usyk's representative, Klimas, emphasized the seriousness of the situation: "They are in great danger. When the bullets start to fly, the bullet doesn't care if you are a world champion. The bullet it just passes through."
BoxingWar in Ukraine