Ukrainian champion boxer Oleksandr Usyk handcuffed at Polish airport

Ukrainian boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk was handcuffed at a Polish airport after he became “upset” when his travelling companion was refused boarding a plane for disruptive behaviour, the airline and border guards said on Wednesday. World heavyweight champion Usyk described the incident late on Tuesday as a “misunderstanding”, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was “disappointed by this attitude towards our citizen”. The 37-year-old boxer was planning to fly from Krakow airport to Thessaloniki, Greece, on Tuesday with another person on a flight operated by Polish airline Buzz, a subsidiary of Ryanair.

“The passenger travelling with Mr Usyk was refused boarding by the airport gate agent at Krakow airport due to his disruptive behaviour,” Ryanair said in a statement to AFP on Wednesday.

“Mr. Usyk was not denied boarding, however he refused to board the aircraft,” the airline said, adding that the gate agent later sought assistance from airport police.

Local border guard spokesman Jacek Michalowski told AFP that the two men “were a bit upset. They didn’t want to go beyond the departure gate. So, according to procedure, our officers intervened.”

“They were warned and released,” he said, denying that they had been detained.

Video footage circulated on social media showed officers taking a handcuffed Usyk into the airport.

“As you saw online, one of these individuals was handcuffed, but that was just done for precautionary reasons because they were upset and we had to get them into the room calmly,” Michalowski said.

Usyk tweeted on Tuesday that “there was a misunderstanding. It was quickly resolved”.

Zelensky said on Tuesday that he had spoken to Usyk by phone after the incident.

“I am disappointed by this attitude towards our citizen and champion,” Zelenskyy said on X.

“Now everything is fine, our champion has been released, and will no longer be held in custody.”

Usyk became boxing’s first four-belt undisputed heavyweight world champion in May when he won against Britain’s Tyson Fury in Riyadh.

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