Ukrainian kickboxing world champion Maksym Kagal has reportedly been killed in the battle for Mariupol.

The claim was made by Ukrainian media outlet The Kyiv Independent on Twitter and it has reportedly been confirmed by a man identified as Kagal’s coach, Oleg Skirta.

The English-language Ukrainian news outlet said: “Ukrainian kickboxing champion killed in combat while defending Mariupol.

“Maksym Kagal, ISKA kickboxing champion, was killed in the battle for the besieged city Mariupol, his coach reported.”

The International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) is one of the main international bodies that regulate karate and kickboxing competitions. It is based in the US.

Skirta said that Kagal, a kickboxer who was crowned world champion as part of the ISKA team in 2014, was killed in the ongoing battle for the besieged city of Mariupol that has pitted local Ukrainian forces against invading Russian troops.

Skirta was quoted as saying: “Sleep well, Brother, rest in peace, we will avenge you.”

Kagal was named as part of the Azov Battalion, which is part of the Ukrainian military, fighting to push back the Russians.

The Azov Regiment, also known as the Azov Battalion, is a notorious group officially incorporated into the National Guard of Ukraine in 2014 after recapturing Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists in June that year.

The Azov Regiment began as a far-right, neo-Nazi group that started out as an urban militia and political party. It has since expanded and, through service to Ukraine, has been incorporated into the Armed Forces. Azov, on a national level, failed in past elections to win any seats in the Ukrainian parliament via its political branch.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have capitalised on the presence of this group in eastern Ukraine to announce his so-called “special military operation” to “de-Nazify Ukraine”, apparently painting the whole country with the same brush as the regiment.