TSN.ua has collected everything that is known about the high-profile detention of Ukrainian boxer Usyk in Poland.
Late in the evening of September 17, Ukrainian athlete, first deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Youth and Sports Zhan Beleniuk reported in his Telegram that boxer Oleksandr Usyk was detained in Krakow airport.
Usyk in handcuffs
“Alexander Usyk was arrested at Krakow airport. The circumstances are being investigated,” the MP noted. He also published the moment of Usyk's arrest. The footage shows Polish security forces handcuffing the athlete and taking him indoors.
What the boxer's wife says
Later, the boxer's wife, Kateryna Usyk, reported on social media, “everything is fine, nothing criminal happened.”
The Foreign Ministry's reaction
Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhyi in a comment to Radio Liberty assured that “on the instructions of Minister Andrey Sybiga, the Consul General of Ukraine in Krakow urgently went to the airport to clarify the circumstances.”
“The Ukrainian side categorically does not accept the attitude towards its citizen and champion demonstrated in the video. In addition, Minister Andriy Sybiha will already contact his Polish counterpart in order to immediately resolve this situation. The Minister also instructed the Consul General to express protest and indignation at this attitude,” said the spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
“Everything seems to be ok”
“Everything seems to be ok, Sania should be released soon. I think he will voice the details himself. Have a quiet night, everyone,” Zhan Beleniuk, who was the first to report the incident, added later.
Even Zelensky intervened
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the detention of the Ukrainian boxer in Poland and personally spoke with Usyk on the phone.
The head of state expressed outrage at such an attitude “towards our citizen and champion.” He instructed Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko to immediately look into all the details of the incident at Krakow Airport.
“I was just informed that everything is fine, our champion was released and no one is detaining him anymore,” Zelensky clarified.
Comment from the boxer himself
Usyk called his detention at Krakow Airport “a misunderstanding that was quickly resolved.”
“Dear friends. There was a misunderstanding. It was quickly resolved. Thank you to everyone who showed concern. Thank you to the Ukrainian diplomats for their prompt support. And respect to the Polish police for fulfilling their their duties regardless of height, weight, arm span and regalia,” the boxer wrote on social media X.
Recall that recently Oleksandr Usyk admitted that in the future he would like to hold the post of Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.
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