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A heart-warming moment has emerged from the war in Ukraine, with former heavyweight boxing world champion Vitali Klitschko helping to oversee a wedding on the front line in Kyiv.
Klitschko, who is now mayor of Ukraine’s capital city, was on hand to watch two territorial defence members, Valeri and Lesya, tie the knot.
Lesya swapped her helmet for a veil as the pair said their vows in front of fellow soldiers at a checkpoint in the city.
After the ceremony was completed, Klitschko kissed the bride on the cheek for good luck while offering her a bouquet of flowers.
He later posted a video of the wedding to his Twitter account, alongside the caption: “Today I greeted the soldiers of one of the battalions of the capital's defence of the capital Lesya and Valeri.
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“They have been living in a civil marriage for a long time, and now they have decided to get married.
“The ceremony took place next to one of the checkpoints. Life goes on!
“And we will protect the life of Kyiv, Kyivites, our state!”
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Vitali and his brother, fellow former heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko, have vowed to defend Ukraine after their country was invaded by nieghbouring Russia earlier this month.
Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko have also joined the defending forces, with the conflict now into its 11th day.
Vitali has said both he and his brother are willing to die to defend their homeland.
“I am very proud to see how patriotic people are,” he told CNN.
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“We’re not interested in how strong the Russian army is, we’re ready to fight.
“And we’re ready to die for our home country and for our families, because it’s our home.
“It’s our future and somebody wants to come to our home and steal our future from us.”
Topics: Boxing, Heavyweight Boxing
Rory O'Callaghan