Ukrainian boxer Alexander Usik on the eve of the battle against Latvian Myris Briedis met with the press, but in addition to questions about the sport, the champion had to respond to political. The sportsman was reminded how two years ago he did not dare to publicly declare that Crimea is Ukraine, the TSN. 19:30.

This time the boxer also avoided the specifics, and called the journalists provocateurs. "Your goal is to provoke me to say such things so that later some people with not quite normal thinking would say: well, a traitor! I represent Ukraine all over the world, the Ukrainian flag rises, the Ukrainian national anthem sounds like this, that's my answer," said Usik.

Also, the boxer was asked why he, on his own birthday, went with gifts to the primate of the UOC-Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Onufriy. Usik replied that he had spoken with a member of the synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on spiritual, not political topics.

In October last year it was reported that boxer Usik visited the Ukrainian military at the advanced positions in the ATU area near Donetsk. The sportsman communicated with the servicemen, treated the soldiers salad, which he prepared personally, and also helped with the repair work on the arrangement of the unit.