A Ukrainian man, who is the world's oldest tennis player, is refusing to evacuate the war-torn city of Kharkiv following Russia's invasion, insisting that he's "not afraid of anyone".
Leonid Stanislavskyi, 97, is staring death in the face as Putin's troops continue to bomb his home-town, located just mere miles from the Russian border.
Stanislavskyi's family have been urging him to flee the country, but he states that he wants to stay and see out the conflict as it continues, not least so he can get back to playing tennis again, The Daily Star writes.
He said: "I'm not afraid of anyone … I'm hoping that the war will end and I will be able to play tennis.
"My daughter Tanya is in Poland, she wants to take me there. But I decided to stay here. If I could get to Poland I would play there. But I decided to stay at home and wait for the end of the war.
"I have bad hearing so I sleep at night and don't hear anything. Last night there were bombings, in the morning there were air-raid sirens again.
"My daughter Tanya is in Poland, she wants to take me there. But I decided to stay here. If I could get to Poland I would play there. But I decided to stay at home and wait for the end of the war.
"I have bad hearing so I sleep at night and don't hear anything. Last night there were bombings, in the morning there were air-raid sirens again.
"I hope I live to reach 100. I have to survive this frightening situation," he stressed.
"The war started on February 24th. From the 24th till now I have practically not gone out. I've stayed at home... I have supplies, the fridge is full. I'm sitting at home, not going anywhere.
Stanislavskyi served in the Second World War as an engineer helping to build Soviet warplanes to fight Nazi Germany.
"I never thought that I would have to live through another, more frightening war where people from both sides are dying -- mothers are losing their children, wives are losing their sons and their husbands," he added.
"What is this? What good is it? In the 21st century there can't be war. The war needs to be stopped, an agreement has to be reached."
Stanislavskyi says he hopes the fighting ends so he can appear at the next seniors World Championships, in Florida next month.
"Tennis is my life, my destiny. I've played tennis at a serious level since I was 90, I've played abroad, I've played in World Championships, I've played in the European Championships."
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