Update: Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk was arrested at the airport in Krakow, Poland, according to Ukrainian lawmaker Zhan Beleniuk on Sept. 17. Beleniuk shared on Telegram that Usyk’s arrest is currently under investigation.
Beleniuk also posted a video of Usyk’s arrest. However, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced shortly after midnight on Sept. 18 that Usyk had been released with the help of Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry. Zelensky also spoke to Usyk while he was detained and expressed his outrage at the treatment of the Ukrainian citizen and champion.
Usyk himself addressed the situation in an Instagram post after his release, stating that there was a misunderstanding that was quickly resolved. He thanked everyone for their concern and expressed his gratitude to Ukrainian diplomats for their support. He also showed respect for the Polish law enforcement officers who performed their duties despite their differences in height, weight, arm span, and regalia.
Usyk’s wife, Kateryna Usyk, also reassured fans on social media that the arrest was not related to anything criminal. She stated that everything was fine and there was no need to worry.
The Ukrainian Consul General in Krakow intervened on Usyk’s behalf at the instruction of Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, according to ministry spokesperson Heorhy Tykhyi. Tykhyi also expressed the Ukrainian government‘s strong rejection of the treatment of their citizen and champion shown in the video.
Sybiha reportedly reached out to his Polish counterpart to resolve the situation. Usyk, who became the undisputed heavyweight world champion after defeating British boxer Tyson Fury in May, is now free and back with his family.
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