Maksym Kagal has joined the list of sportsmen and former sportsmen killed in action in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Aged 30, this former kickboxing world champion had taken up arms to defend his country in Mariupol, in the south-east of the country.
5,000 people have died since the start of the fighting in this city, said Monday an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, in charge of humanitarian corridors.
He died on Friday, revealed his trainer Oleg Skirta, while serving under the arms of the Azov regiment, a controversial far-right militia.
“
Unfortunately, war takes away the best.
On March 25, while defending the city of Mairoupol in the Azov special forces, Maksym Kagal died - the first kickboxing world champion of our club, the first world champion of our glorious city of Kremenchug, the first Kickboxing world champion ISKA, member of the national team of Ukraine.
He was just an honest, decent man.
Rest in peace my brother, the earth is your down, we will take revenge on you
, ”said the coach on his Facebook account.
Before Maksym Kagal, other Ukrainian athletes had died weapons in hand.
Vitalii Sapylo was, at 21, a promising footballer in the second division in the Carpathian club Lviv.
Yevhen Malyshev had fallen to 19 years old at the start of the invasion.
Former member of the Ukrainian national junior biathlon team, he was doing his military service with the national army.
Dmytro Martynenko (25), who played for FC Hostomel in the Ukrainian second division, was killed at his home during a bombardment.