Viktor Faust Reflects On Russian Missile Attack In His Hometown Of Kremenchuk, Ukraine

Viktor Faust is a brave, tough man, but it is difficult for the heavyweight prospect to forget the horrifying events of last June 27.

Faust was visiting his parents in his hometown of Kremenchuk, Ukraine, when Russian missiles hit a shopping mall and other targets there. None of Faust’s family members were injured, but the attack was a devastating reminder of what could happen any day during Ukraine’s war with Russia.

Various news outlets indicated that the attack killed at least 20 people and injured at least another 56 civilians.

“I went to Kremenchuk to be with my parents and that day there was a huge rocket attack,” Faust told BoxingScene.com through a translator. “It happened not far from my house. It was very dangerous. It was very scary. There were rockets blasting left and right. It was a huge shock.”

The 6-foot-5, 234-pound Faust’s focus is currently on the biggest fight of his career, a 10-round bout against Cuban southpaw Lenier Pero on Saturday night. Showtime will televise the battle between Faust (11-0, 7 KOs) and Pero (8-0, 5 KOs) as the opener of a tripleheader from Alamodome in San Antonio (9 p.m. ET; 6 p.m. PT).

The 30-year-old Faust admits, though, that his heart remains in Kremenchuk, where his parents still reside.

“When I started the training process, I tried to concentrate on the training,” said Faust, who trained in Hamburg, Germany, where he lives with his wife and their 3-year-old and 1-year-old sons. “But I checked the news every day and every day had contact with my parents. It’s tough for me because I have to think about the training process and this fight, but I have to think about what’s going on in Ukraine, too.”

Faust lost a decision to Pero’s younger brother, Dainier, as an amateur boxer. Dainier Pero (2-0, 2 KOs) will also appear on the Rey Vargas-O’Shaquie Foster undercard Saturday night, but Faust feels like he can exact some revenge by beating his older brother in their professional fight.

“This fight is very important for me because I’ve dedicated it to Ukraine,” Faust said. “If I win, it will be one more step toward being a heavyweight champion of the world. It’s very special, this fight, because it opens me to different stages of my career.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.