Now rubble: Vernyayev showed Kharkiv's sports infrastructure shattered by Russians

Oleg Vernyayev, the 2016 Olympic gymnastics champion, shared gruesome images from Kharkiv, where a large number of buildings have been destroyed due to shelling and bombing by Russian forces that have invaded Ukraine.

The 28-year-old gymnast revealed on his Instagram the extensive damage that was done to the city's sports infrastructure. The rooms for fencing and boxing were completely destroyed by the Russians occupiers. Now all that is left of them are ruins.

Vernyayev said that Kharkiv civilians who had previously lost their homes were hiding from shelling in the boxing hall. Fortunately, they managed to leave the building and escape before an enemy shell hit it.

Earlier it was reported that Vernyayev stood in front of Ukraine against the occupiers. The Donetsk native called for Russia's complete isolation from international sport at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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• “The invaders were pulling padlocks and tuners with them”: Steblyanka residents  about how they survived under the Russian occupation