Two Ukrainian boxing champions, Oleh Prudky and Oleksiy Yanin, have died while defending their country during Russia's invasion, according to sports officials.

Prudky, a former light-welterweight champion of Ukraine, died battling Russian forces on Sunday, the Ukrainian Boxing Federation said in an Instagram post Monday.

“Your victories and achievements are hard to count, you were a very persistent and hard-working athlete, you trained a lot. You have been a worthy example for future generations,” the Cherkasy Boxing Federation wrote.

Prudky is survived by his wife and two young daughters.

Yanin, a Ukrainian kickboxing champion and Muay Thai world champion, died in April while battling Russian and pro-Russian forces in Mariupol, Ukraine’s Ministry of Youth and Sports said Tuesday.

“Oleksiy Yanin, an athlete and serviceman of the Azov Special Purpose Detachment of the National Guard of Ukraine, died in the battle for Mariupol,” the ministry said. 
He “met a full-scale invasion of the Russian occupiers in eastern Ukraine and was one of those heroes who bravely defended the hero city of Mariupol.”

Yanin is survived by his wife and son.

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