Ukrainian boy, 13, is hailed a hero for storming off and refusing to stand on podium alongside Russian at karate tournament

This is the moment a 13-year-old Ukrainian karate star staged his own protest against warring Russia.

Joint bronze medalist Yevhen Melnik refused to pose for pictures on the podium with the Russian boy who beat him to gold.

And he declined to shake hands with the winner, instead marching away and waving aside entreaties for him to stay.

His solo protest has made him a national hero in Ukraine with his defiance going viral on social media.

The Russian boy Igor Grogoriev, 13, was competing at the Youth Karate League in Guadalajara, Spain, as a neutral athlete because of a ban on Russia due to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Karate Federation claimed: ‘This is the first award at this level for Yevhen.

‘Usually, such awards are remembered for life. However, this time, it will be remembered not only by the medallist.’

Yevhen is from Kyiv club Shogun.

Joint bronze medalist Yevhen Melnik (pictured, right) refused to pose for pictures on the podium with the Russian boy who beat him to gold

His solo protest has made him a national hero in Ukraine with his defiance going viral on social media

‘This bronze has already become a symbol of uncompromising and pride for the future Ukrainian generation – after the award ceremony, the young athlete refused to shake his hand and take a joint photo with a conditionally neutral representative of the country of murderers and looters,’ said the federation.

‘Thank you for the clear Ukrainian position.

‘Thank you to the athlete’s parents for the correct upbringing and to the coaches and the club for supporting the future champion.’

It comes as the Ukrainian military said it captured two Chinese men fighting alongside the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region and has information that ‘significantly more’ are with Russian forces, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday.

There was no immediate comment from China. Beijing is not known to have provided Russia with weapons or military expertise, and it was not clear whether the Chinese had joined the fight on their own initiative. Russia allows foreigners to enlist in its military, as does Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said he asked his top diplomat ‘to immediately contact Beijing.’ He said China would be the third country to offer military support to Russia after Iran, which has supplied attack drones, and North Korea, which has supplied soldiers, according to American and South Korean officials.

China has provided strong diplomatic support for Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. Beijing has also offered an economic lifeline through the trade in energy and consumer goods.

Zelenskyy said a clash with Chinese soldiers occurred near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka in Donetsk, where six Chinese military personnel engaged Ukrainian troops. Two Chinese were taken prisoner, Zelenskyy said.

Yevhen is from Kyiv club Shogun

He competed in the Youth Karate League in Guadalajara, Spain

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said his ministry summoned China’s chargé d’affaires to demand an explanation, saying on X that ‘Chinese citizens fighting as part of Russia’s invasion army in Ukraine puts into question China’s declared stance for peace and undermines Beijing’s credibility as a responsible permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.’

Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting in Ukraine, and both sides are believed to be readying a spring-summer campaign on the battlefield.

‘I cannot see any indications that would lead to a ceasefire or even a peace, but I see many indications (for) the continuation of the war,’ Nico Lange, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington, said in an analysis Monday.

Zelenskyy spoke at a news conference in Kyiv alongside visiting Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who announced a 1 billion euro ($1 billion) aid package for Ukraine this year. Ukraine’s president said they discussed joint military manufacturing efforts and Belgian private investment in Ukraine’s defense sector.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian Foreign Ministry officials will take part in talks with the U.S. in Istanbul planned for Thursday.

He didn’t say what the talks would be about, but the foreign ministry’s involvement suggests it is another round of talks about normalizing their respective embassies’ operations and increasing staff numbers after years of expelling each other’s diplomats.

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