Ex-tennis pro Stakhovsky wields machine gun as he paints harrowing picture of Ukraine war

Former professional tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky has been pictured parading the streets of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv wielding a machine gun as he attempts to protect his country from Russia. The 36-year-old, who has beaten the likes of Roger Federer in the past, announced his retirement from the sport earlier this year in order to return to Ukraine to help in the ongoing conflict.

Photos have now been published of Stakhovsky holding a Kalashnikov assault rifle as he prepares to fight to the bitter end in the war. He recently opened up on his experiences to the Associated Press about just how much his life has changed since he swapped his tennis whites for army gear.

“I don’t have the words to describe it,” he said. “I would never imagine in my life that it would come to this, that I would be in my home city… with a gun in my hands. We are a group of three to five people. We have a sector in which we patrol.

“Everyone has a two-hour shift, then six hours of rest, then you have to get out for two hours again, whether it’s day or in the middle of the night. We look to see if there are Russian agents and prevent marauders from breaking into shops. If Ukraine loses this war, it will be eradicated from all history books. It will disappear from the earth as a country.”

Stakhovsky has also taken to social media to document his experiences. He has posted a number of pictures of himself on duty, and is clearly trying to stay positive despite the horrendous circumstances he finds himself in.

A recent post of him looking out over a square in Kyiv was captioned: ‘This is our city. This is our country’, along with a number of captions such as ‘protectatallcosts’ and ‘stopRussianaggression’.

Upon initially announcing his decision to go Ukraine, Stakhovsky received a huge amount of support within the world of tennis. He was contacted by the likes of Novak Djokovic, who pledged to send ‘help’ to his former on-court rival.

Stakhovsky shared a private conversation he and Djokovic had exchanged on WhatsApp. In it, Djokovic had said: “Thinking of you, hope all calms down soon. Please let me know what would be the best address to send help…financial help, any other help as well.”

The conditions in Kyiv are bleak, with one Ukrainian politician claiming citizens are being forced to drink sewage water. Speaking to Times Radio, Lesia Vasylenko said people are being “made to stay in basements and metro stations” and are “starving without food, and drinking sewage water.”