Ukrainian Kickboxing World Champion Dies in Battle... Coach Says "We Will Avenge"

Former Kickboxing World Champion Maksim Kagal Dies in Battle in Mariupol

Maxim Kagal, a former world kickboxing champion who died fighting against the Russian army. Photo by Facebook screenshot.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A Ukrainian kickboxing athlete and former world champion died during combat with Russian forces.

On the 28th (local time), foreign media including the UK's Daily Mail reported that Maksim Kagal (30), who was fighting against Russian troops at the Mariupol battlefield in Ukraine, died on the 25th.

His coach, Olek Skyrta, conveyed the news of Kagal's death on Facebook, mourning, "He was an honest and dignified person. Brother, rest in peace. We will avenge you."

Kagal, from the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, won the ISKA Kickboxing Championship in 2014, becoming a world champion. He was the first world champion in Ukrainian kickboxing history.

Earlier, it was reported that Kagal joined the Azov battalion, a special unit of the National Defense Forces, after Russia's invasion on the 24th of last month and had been fighting since then.

This is not the first case of a Ukrainian athlete dying in combat with Russian forces. On the 1st, biathlon national team member Yevhenii Malyshev (19) died in the Battle of Kharkiv. On the same day, football player Vitalii Sapilo (21) was shot and killed during combat near Kyiv (Kiyev).

Also, Dmytro Martynenko (25), a player from the local club FC, reportedly died at his home near Kyiv due to Russian bombing.

Meanwhile, the 5th round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine held in Istanbul, Turkey, concluded on the 29th. The Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey stated, "The talks lasted for four hours with occasional breaks."

According to RIA Novosti and other sources, Vladimir Medinsky, presidential aide and head of the Russian delegation, said at a separate press conference after the meeting, "The negotiations proceeded constructively."

He added, "We received a well-organized position from the Ukrainian side," and "I will report this to President Putin." However, Medinsky did not comment on the specific details discussed during the negotiations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.