Rio Olympic Champion Oleg Verniaiev Gets Drafted Into Ukraine's Armed Forces Amid Russian Invasion

 Oleg Verniaiev, who won the gold medal on parallel bars at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, has been drafted into Ukraine's armed forces ami...

 Oleg Verniaiev, who won the gold medal on parallel bars at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, has been drafted into Ukraine's armed forces amid Russian invasion of the country.

The Ukrainian gymnast posted a photo in army uniform to his Instagram Stories posing with a peace sign.

Two weeks ago, 2021 European all around finalist Volodymyr Kostiuk  announced that he will be joining the Ukrainian military as he received his draft notice.

Verniaiev is a native of Donetsk, one of two territories where Russia-backed separatists declared independence from Kyiv in 2014.

Last month, the 28 year old gymnast called for international bans on Russian sports after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oleg Verniaiev (@verniaiev13)

He has also spoken out against Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak, who wore the symbol of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on his chest while competing at the 2022 Doha World Cup.

See also: Ukraine's Oleg Verniaiev Throws Shade At Ivan Kuliak, The Russian Gymnast Who Wore The Russian Pro War Symbol At Doha World Cup

Verniaiev, who is also a World champion and six time European champion, is currently serving a four year suspension after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium in August 2020.