Oleksandr Ismatov

Oleksandr Ismatov was a Ukrainian boxer from Kharkiv, a Master of Sport of Ukraine and twice a bronze medallist at the world championships for young boxers, who after Russia's full scale invasion joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. His death at the age of 40 was announced by the Ukrainian Boxing Federation on 10 November 2026.

He was born in Kharkiv and came up through the city's well known school of boxing, fighting for the Lokomotyv club. Kharkiv has long been one of the main centres of Ukrainian amateur boxing, and its clubs have produced fighters who went on to compete at European, world and Olympic level. Ismatov was part of that tradition from childhood. His breakthrough came very young. In 2001 and again in 2002 he won bronze medals at the world championships for cadets in the up to 45 kilogram division, the first of them in Baku, results that made him one of the most promising young fighters in Ukraine at the time.

At home he also won medals at the All Ukrainian Summer Sports Games, representing the Kharkiv region team, and his record earned him the title of Master of Sport of Ukraine. Ukrainian sports media later described him as one of the products of the Kharkiv boxing school that had helped build the country's reputation in amateur boxing.

After Russia launched its full scale invasion in 2022, Ismatov volunteered for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian boxer Ivan Redkach, whose account was reported by several outlets, he was seriously wounded while on combat duty, was discharged from the army on health grounds and later died at home. The federation itself did not give a cause of death.

Announcing his death, the Ukrainian Boxing Federation said he had devoted part of his life to sport and then stood up to defend Ukraine, and that his name would remain forever in the memory of the boxing community and everyone who knew him. Tributes were shared by boxing pages and fellow fighters across Ukraine in the days that followed. He is remembered both as a gifted young boxer from Kharkiv and as one of the many Ukrainian athletes who left sport to serve their country.