The mother of the Ukrainian weightlifter returned to occupation after treatment.

Olympic champion of 2004 Natalia Skakun spoke about the story of her athlete, whose mother had to stay in occupied Berdyansk. She tried to take her mother out, but she refused. After a serious knee injury, the woman agreed to move to Zaporizhzhia, where she underwent surgery, but later decided to return to Berdyansk.

We have a girl training from Zaporizhzhia. Interestingly, her mother now lives in occupied Berdyansk and does not want to move because she considers herself Russian and feels comfortable there. They communicate by phone, but often have arguments due to different views.

The fact that the woman seriously injured her knee served as a basis for the athlete to take her mother out of the occupied territory. She brought her to Zaporizhzhia, where her mother underwent surgery and was helped to recover. However, after recovery, she decided to return to the occupation, leaving her mother alone, despite their different views, - Skakun said.

It is also worth mentioning that the rower Larysa Zhalinska, who served in the National Guard of Ukraine, left Ukraine on a tourist voucher and went to Russia. In her interview, she stated that she is Russian and has always been one, and if it can be called a relocation, she calls it a return to her homeland.

Today, many people qualify my actions as escaping to Russia, but I would not call it an escape. I would call it a return to my homeland, to my historical homeland. I have always been Russian by nationality, my hometown is the city of Prymorsk in the Zaporizhzhia region of the Russian Federation, and I have always spoken Russian.

Such a thing became possible thanks to a new law that allows female servicemen to receive leave rights with the right to travel abroad, including tourist vouchers. Therefore, Zhalinska purchased a tourist voucher to the Czech Republic and issued a second foreign passport without informing the military unit.

With the second passport, she crossed the border, finding carriers through Telegram channels and the help of friends from Russia who helped her cross the Polish-Belarusian border. In addition, she purchased a ticket for the Minsk-Moscow flight.

Zhalinska has repeatedly become the champion of Ukraine in rowing and plans to represent Russia in the near future.