Former world welterweight champion Vyacheslav Senchenko (37-2, 25 KOs) commented on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“My appeal to the entire boxing community, including the citizens of Russia and residents of Donetsk. A full-scale war is going on in Ukraine. I would like everyone to understand what is happening here, because many in Russia think that we have a special operation here. We don't have any fucking special operation. In Ukraine, they simply bomb cities, destroy all life. Here is such a "special operation" from our "brothers" Russians. I want everyone to know this.
“I don’t understand how a normal, sane person can support military operations, as Povetkin did. Has his head been whitened, or what?
“In Ukraine, many speak and think in Russian, and this is not important at all, because we are Ukrainians. We are on our own land, we did not interfere with anyone with the war. There is no need to free us from anyone. Nobody conquered us to liberate us. We didn't ask anyone for help. I have not seen a single Russian-speaking person who would call on him to "save" him in Ukraine because he is being oppressed here. This is a complete lie, this was done on purpose to go to war against us and conquer Ukraine. They won't succeed.
"Even if they conquer some territories here, then there will be a guerrilla war, we are created like that, we will not give up ours. They will not do anything here. If they put their pseudo-leadership here, it will not last long. This is just a crazy idea by crazy president. He's just out of his mind.
"It's a pity that many Russians watch TV that processes them. You need to read the Internet, you need to write to friends in Ukraine to find out what is happening here. Many boxers and coaches from Russia are writing to me now, asking what is happening with us. I show them videos and photos, tell them about the situation, and they say that they are given completely different information in Russia, they are not shown all this.
"I would also like to appeal to people from Donetsk who write to me that we in Kyiv will now try it on our own skin. So I tell them for them: I was in Donetsk until 2015, I saw how all this bullshit started, with whose support. I saw how the Russian military came in, how they captured the city, how they set up missile launchers under my house to be hit back. And then to say, that it was Kyiv bombing Donetsk. If the Ukrainians fired back, it was a measure of protection after you captured the city.
"I was in Donetsk then, I saw it all with my own eyes, how you shoot behind the houses to get an answer. And then show on TV that Ukraine is bombing houses. Why did you hide behind houses? Have you thought about people? You never think about them, for you they are just expendables.
“Russia has one goal - to rip our country apart. There are no other targets. This is the situation, Donetsk people. And you talk about the fact that "now you will experience what we experienced." You don't know what's going on here right now. I was in Donetsk. Donetsk is whole, only some outskirts are destroyed there, but here they shoot everything and everywhere. There are tanks, infantry. This is a completely different war.
"You don't know what's going on here. Don't tell me what's going on there and what's going on here. I was in Donetsk for two years while the war was going on, it's an incomparable war with what's going on here, with planes and helicopters. In Donetsk, this was not even close. Here is such a story for those who sit in Donetsk and say that we should experience it in our own skin. Yes, you have never experienced it on your own. So you better shut up.
“No sane person supports this war. This is where children die. Then the Russians also came to Donetsk to "liberate". From whom? There was sport, there was life, there was everything. What Bandera, what nationalists? Donetsk prospered, they went to football, boxing, I was there until 2015, everything was fine. Until these drug addicts took up arms. They are probably no longer alive. These Givi and others, they gave them weapons and power.
“Here is my message for the Donetsk people who write to me that we will now experience what they are. You cannot even imagine how full-scale shit is now on our territory.
“In the end, I would like to tell you that we are united, we are strong, and we will not give up just like that. No one is going to fall before Russia, we are an independent state. Let them remember it. Together we are strong. Glory to Ukraine,” Senchenko wrote on Facebook.
