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Featured Image Credit: Image: PA
Topics:Â Wladimir Klitschko, Ukraine, Russia
Josh Lawless
Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are reportedly on Vladimir Putin's 23-man blacklist amid the Russian president announcing a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The invasion was ordered on Thursday morning and has seen military attacks on cities in Ukraine.
One of which is the capital, Kyiv, where former heavyweight world champion Vitali is mayor.
According to The Times, Â 400 highly-trained Russian mercenaries have been sent to Kyiv with the demand to assassinate Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and essentially wipe out his government.
Many of these mercenaries are said to belong to the Wagner Group, a private military organisation with links to Putin, flew in from Africa around a month ago.
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They have been ordered to terminate the government in exchange for a fee.
And it's claimed the Klitschko brothers are on the list of Putin's targets. The pair have highly vocal about the current situation, using their platform to urge other countries to step and help Ukraine in their time of need.
Both have officially taken up arms to fight against the Russians.
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Vitali had told Good Morning Britain he felt he had "no other choice but to take up arms".
Meanwhile, younger sibling Wladimir has been incredibly active on social media during these dangerous times.
He wrote: "The Ukrainian people are strong. And it will remain true to itself in this terrible ordeal. A people longing for sovereignty and peace. A people who consider the Russian people their brothers.
"It knows that they basically do not want this war. The Ukrainian people have chosen democracy.
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"But democracy is a fragile regime. Democracy cannot defend itself; it needs the will of the citizens, the commitment of everyone. Basically, there is no democracy without democrats."
He also called for Russia to be banned from competing in any international sport going forward.
The nation and its clubs and teams have been suspended at all levels, FIFA and UEFA announced in a joint statement last night.
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Fellow Ukrainian professional boxing superstars Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk have also signed up to the military in a bid to help defend their country.
According to reports, Putin has directly ordered a halt to conflict in Ukraine for now, to show that he is holding talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky.
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However, negotiations not materialising will result in the go-ahead order to hunt those on the"kill list" and it's claimed "hefty bonuses for killings" are being offered as an incentive.