Authorities in Russian-occupied Crimea have confiscated property belonging to 84 individuals and companies, including Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, a former undisputed heavyweight world champion. The move was announced by Vladimir Konstantinov, the Moscow-appointed “head” of Crimea’s State Council, in a post on his Telegram channel.
Konstantinov described Usyk as a “supporter of Nazi ideology,” claiming the boxer had “repeatedly condemned the special military operation” and organized fundraising efforts in support of Ukraine’s armed forces.
The list of confiscated assets also includes property owned by Ukrainian businessman and former member of parliament Ihor Franchuk. According to Konstantinov, Franchuk “holds an active anti-Russian position” while continuing to own assets in Crimea, including stakes in several companies, among them Lilaste LLC and the Crimean school Tescao. The “authorities” also seized property belonging to several Ukrainian citizens who, they allege, are fighting in Ukraine’s military, as well as assets of Tavrida-Plaza LLC, which is owned by Ukraine’s TMM Group.
Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion in May 2024, holding titles from the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF. In November 2025, he voluntarily vacated the WBO belt. He had been scheduled to defend the title against New Zealand boxer Joseph Parker but first requested a postponement because of a back injury, which ultimately led to him giving up the title.
The “special military operation” (SVO) is a euphemism used by the Russian government to refer to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. The term is used in official Russian media, government statements, and pro-Kremlin discourse to justify Moscow’s military actions, frame the invasion as a limited operation rather than an all-out war, and suppress dissent.