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Maksym Galinichev dead at 22: 'Hero' boxing champ killed fighting for Ukraine, leaves behind daughter, 3

Maksym Galinichev could have participated in the European Boxing Championships in Armenia last year, but he chose to fight for his country instead

KYIV, UKRAINE: A European boxing champion has died fighting for his country against Vladimir Putin's forces in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 22-year-old Maksym Galinichev was reportedly serving Ukraine's 25th Sycheslav Airborne Brigade in the Luhansk region, where he was killed.

It's worth noting that Galinichev won gold medals for Ukraine at both the 2017 and 2018 European Youth Championships. Furthermore, he also won a silver medal at the Buenos Aires 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games. The acclaimed athlete could have participated in the European Boxing Championships in Armenia last year, but he chose to fight for his country instead.

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Tributes pour in

Galinichev's demise was confirmed by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. “Maksym Galinichev, 22, European youth boxing champion, died defending Ukraine in the Luhansk region," the official posted on Twitter Friday, March 24. “Maksym enlisted as a volunteer and came back to the frontlines twice after being wounded and recovering. Eternal memory to Hero," Gerashchenko wrote alongside a photo of the martyr, leading the tributes following the news of his tragic demise. 

Britain's Team GB Boxing also extended their condolences on Twitter. "Everyone at GB Boxing is saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Ukraine's 22-year-old European Youth champion Maksym Galinichev," the organization wrote. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Maksym's friends and family at this devastating time."

Fellow Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych lauded Galinichev for laying down "his life" for Ukraine and putting his country before himself. "On March 10, silver medalist of the 2018 Youth Olympics Maksym Galinichev laid down his life for independent Ukraine," Heraskevych wrote. "In the spring of 2022, Maksym refused to participate in the European Boxing Championship and volunteered for the airborne assault troops. Glory to Hero," he added.

Ongoing conflict

Luhansk has endured brutal violence since Russian forces crossed the border on February 24, 2022. It is reportedly one of four regions Putin claimed to have annexed in September, despite his troops facing major losses in a Ukrainian counteroffensive. The Russian strongman's order to annex Luhansk, along with Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, came at a rather premature moment without having cemented control of any of the four regions. Moscow has been trying to establish a strong foothold in Ukraine's east ever since.

Fate of Ukrainian athletes

Galinichev -- who leaves behind a three-year-old daughter -- became the latest Ukrainian athlete to die in battle, fighting against Russia's so-called "special military operation" that was launched last year. Before Galinichev, Ukrainian decathlon champion Volodymyr Androshchuk died in Bakhmut and biathlete Yevhen Malyshev died in Kharkiv, while kickboxer Oleksandr Suprunov and cyclist and rower Oleksandr Onoshko were killed in Mariupol. That said, Galinichev's death is expected to intensify calls for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from the 2024 Paris Olympics -- something Ukraine and its allies are pushing in light of the ongoing conflict.

Galinichev is not the only Ukrainian boxer to join his country's troops against the Russian invasion. Former heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a reservist in the Territorial Defence Brigade shortly after the war began. Meanwhile, the current unified heavyweight world champion, Oleksandr Usyk, also enlisted with the Kyiv Territorial Defence upon the declaration of war, according to TalkSport.