Ukrainian athlete at war: "First came the drones, then artillery, then tanks"

Andrii Tkachuk

ultra runner from Ukraine, has been badly wounded in heavy skirmishes with Russian forces.

The 36-year-old specialist in 24-hour races volunteered for the military at the beginning of the war and claims to have taken part in battles in the south of the country.

Alexander Davydov

sports editor.

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According to Tkachuk, these are primarily determined by withdrawal.

"We lost one position after the other," he told the FAZ. "First the drones came, then the artillery, and finally the tanks advanced." While his unit was retreating, a shell hit Tkachuk's neighboring position, and he himself was through several shrapnel fragments injured.

He is currently awaiting surgery in a military hospital.

"My goal is to get back to the front line as soon as possible," said Tkachuk.

“They are bombing our cities.

But we will rebuild them.

They will fight us back, but they will not defeat us.

I also know individual defeats from sport.

But I have no doubt that we will triumph in the end.”