Famous Ukrainian boxer and former world champion Vasyl Lomachenko commented on the rocket strike on a school in the city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in the Odesa region, which he himself attended. In his statement, the athlete did not specify who exactly carried out the attack on the educational institution.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Lomachenko on the Tragedy in His Hometown
“Today is a tragic day for all Akkermanians (Lomachenko uses the historical name of the city – ed.)! Just yesterday, there were smiles and joy on the faces of those who came to the graduation, and today – tears and bitterness! The school I graduated from, which our children attended, was cynically shelled with rockets! Eternal rest to the deceased! Strength and health to the wounded!” – the athlete wrote on the evening of June 23.
According to official information, as a result of the rocket strike by the Russian Federation on Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, two people were killed. At least 14 others were injured, including two teenagers who were passing by during the attack. Canine units and psychologists from the State Emergency Service are working at the scene to provide necessary assistance to the victims.
Lomachenko’s Views and His Participation in the Film
In 2020, Vasyl Lomachenko, along with boxer Oleksandr Usyk and Metropolitan Onufriy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), participated in the documentary film “Hello, Brother! Christ is Risen,” which was filmed in a Russian men’s monastery in the village of Korsun in the Oryol region, as well as in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The film’s synopsis discusses faith, friendship, and brotherly relations between Ukrainian and Russian athletes, as well as their devotion to the Orthodox Church during difficult times for the canonical church in Ukraine.
In the film, Lomachenko states that he has many friends in Russia and is not ready to stop communicating with them. He has also expressed views that align with the rhetoric of the Russian leadership, particularly that “essentially we are one people,” echoing themes used by the Russian authorities to justify their aggression against Ukraine.