Usyk says Ukraine under massive attack

Oleksandr Usyk used his post-fight interview on Saturday to talk about the war at home, telling spectators in Egypt that Ukraine was under attack while he was in the ring. The Ukrainian heavyweight had just stopped Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round in Giza, according to fight coverage and a report by Ukrainian outlet UNN. Usyk then said his family had been messaging him from a shelter as Russian strikes threatened Ukraine. The comments came on the same day the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv warned of a potentially significant air attack within the next 24 hours. ### What exactly did Usyk say after the fight? UNN reported that Usyk told the crowd: “I know that Ukraine is being bombed right now. My family is in a shelter writing: ‘I love you.’” The outlet said he made the remarks in the ring immediately after the bout ended in Egypt and that the audience responded with applause. (unn.ua) The fight itself took place near the Pyramids of Giza on May 23, with DAZN listing the event as Usyk’s first fight of 2026. UNN said the bout ended with an 11th-round technical knockout of Verhoeven. ### What was happening in Ukraine as he spoke? (unn.ua) The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on May 23 that it had received information concerning “a potentially significant air attack” that could occur at any time over the next 24 hours. The embassy urged U.S. citizens to identify shelter locations, download air alert apps and be ready to take cover immediately if an alert was announced. (dazn.com) President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russia was preparing a strike using the Oreshnik ballistic missile, citing intelligence from Ukraine, the United States and Europe, according to Reuters. The Kyiv Independent separately reported that Zelensky had warned of a broader assault that could target Kyiv. (ua.usembassy.gov) ### Were there reports of attacks on Kyiv during the fight? The Kyiv Independent’s live war coverage listed Russian drone activity targeting Kyiv late on May 23 and reported civilian casualties in Odesa and Kharkiv regions the same night. Its news feed later reported that Kyiv came under a “massive ballistic missile, drone attack” early on May 24. Bloomberg also reported that Kyiv came under a major Russian drone and missile attack early Sunday, hours after Zelensky and the U.S. (usnews.com) Embassy warning. Social media posts cited in the source briefing said Kyiv-based journalists watched the fight from bomb shelters amid the aerial threat. Those posts support the timing of Usyk’s remarks but are not, on their own, official confirmation of the military situation. ### Why did the moment resonate beyond boxing? Usyk has long tied his public profile to Ukraine’s war, but Saturday’s remarks were unusually immediate because they linked a live championship event abroad to messages arriving from shelters at home. (kyivindependent.com) The statement landed as warnings from Ukrainian authorities, foreign diplomats and media reports all pointed to the risk of a large-scale Russian strike. The next concrete developments were expected in Ukraine overnight into May 24, with Kyiv officials, the Ukrainian military and international missions in the capital issuing updates as air raid alerts and strike reports unfolded. (ua.usembassy.gov) (unn.ua)