Ukrainian boxing champion Maksym Galinichev, who volunteered after the invasion of Russia, has died, authorities announced Friday. He was 22 years old.
Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, announced Galinichev’s death on Twitter, adding that Galinichev died while «defending Ukraine in [the] Lugansk region».
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“Maksym volunteered and returned to the front twice after being wounded and recovering,” Gerashchenko wrote in a tweet.
«Eternal memory for Hero».
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Tributes for Galinichev rained down on social media.
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According to the New York Post, he won a gold medal for Ukraine at the 2017 European Junior Championships and a silver medal at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2018.
He also reportedly skipped the European Boxing Championships last year to continue fighting the Russian invasion.
News of Galinichev’s death comes just as the International Olympic Committee faces backlash after its recommendation on Tuesday that athletes from Russia and Belarus should be allowed to return to competition under neutral status as long as they have no military ties.
Associated Press contributed to this report.