Ukraine tennis star Sergiy Stakhovsky has revealed he has taken up arms after returning to his homeland in the wake of Russia’s invasion. Stakhovsky, who famously beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2013, retired from tennis after playing at January’s Australian Open.
Russia’s egregious assault on their neighbouring country is in its second week after president Vladimir Putin took the deadly decision to shatter peace in Europe last month.
Thousands of Ukrainians have already been killed and the humanitarian crisis is proliferating by the day as supplies of food, water, heat and medicine grow scarce.
An estimated 1.7million Ukrainians have now fled the country as major cities and regions including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mariupol continue to come under fire.
And Stakhovsky has admitted he had little option other to help his compatriots as he spoke to GB News presenter Mark Dolan.
“We have four to seven times a day airstrike alarms so we need to go down,” Stakhovsky said. “Some of those alarms we ignore, even though we shouldn’t.
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Earlier this week, Stakhovsky also revealed Whatsapp messages which had been sent from Novak Djokovic as the Serbian offered to send money to help Ukraine.
“Stako, how are you man,” read the message. “Are you on the field? Think of you, hoping all calms down soon.
“Please let me know what would be the best address to send help, financial help, any other help as well.”
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