LONDON (AP) \u2014 Ukrainian coal miner Andrii\u2019s face lights up when he talks about meeting Oleksandr Usyk.<\/p>\n
\u201cWow!\u201d the 36-year-old says in English.<\/p>\n
Andrii and more than a dozen other war veterans will be on hand when Usyk faces Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium<\/a> on Saturday night in the pair\u2019s fight to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a rematch of their 2023 bout that Andrii viewed under vastly different circumstances.<\/p>\n \u201cI watched this fight on the front line on my phone,\u201d he told The Associated Press through an interpreter during a stop Friday at the Ukrainian Embassy in London. \u201cWe were watching very quietly but when he won there was loud noise \u2014 we really celebrated.<\/p>\n \u201cSo now, two years later, being here in person for the fight is a huge event.\u201d<\/p>\n He spoke on condition that only his first name be used, citing security concerns.<\/p>\n The veterans are employees of Ukraine\u2019s largest private energy company DTEK, which has partnered with Usyk to raise awareness about the plight of the country\u2019s civilian energy infrastructure<\/a> since the Russian invasion<\/a> in February 2022.<\/p>\n Seldom travel<\/p>\n Most of them, including Andrii, had never traveled outside Ukraine before. They took a train to Warsaw and from there a flight to London, landing Thursday and going straight to a downtown hotel to meet Usyk.<\/p>\n \u201cHe told about his training sessions, how he prepared for the fight, but he also mentioned his journey from his childhood to becoming champion,\u201d Andrii said. \u201cHe\u2019s an ambassador of Ukraine and he supports energy workers. He can bring attention to the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine\u2019s power grid<\/a> during the war. At one point, 90% of DTEK\u2019s thermal generation capacity was damaged or destroyed.<\/p>\n More than 300 DTEK workers have been killed in the war and 900 more injured, mostly while fighting.<\/p>\n Andrii, who lives about 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the front line in eastern Ukraine, had served two years in combat and described his injuries \u2014 a concussion and taking shrapnel in his right leg from an exploding land mine<\/a> \u2014 as \u201cminor.\u201d Like so many other Ukrainians, he\u2019s lost friends and loved ones<\/a>.<\/p>\n The bright lights and modern infrastructure of England\u2019s iconic stadium will be a welcome change for the veterans.<\/p>\n Won 2012 Olympic gold <\/p>\n The 38-year-old Usyk, an Olympic gold medalist from the 2012 London Games, has embraced his unofficial ambassadorial role<\/a> for his country.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of my fights are important for me and my team,\u201d he said Thursday. \u201cNow, it\u2019s very important to my country and the soldiers who protect my country because it\u2019s motivation for my people.\u201d<\/p>\n