"Won't forgive myself if I don’t join" - Alexandr Dolgopolov returns to Ukrainian army after Russia announces hefty mobilization of troops

Alexandr Dolgopolov on Wednesday said that he plans to rejoin the Ukrainian army. His decision was made after Russia recently announced the mass mobilization of reservists to bolster the invasion. Moscow is mobilizing about 300,000 troops in order to successfully seize four key regions along the southeast of Ukraine.

The call for mobilization is a first under Vladimir Putin's regime but was previously administered twice by Russia during wartime in the early 20th century. Dolgopolov also served in the Ukrainian military during the onset of the war. He said that his participation in his country's counteroffensive was as essential to him as ever.

In a tweet, the former World No. 13 also encouraged his international followers to stand by Ukraine during these testing times:

"Russia announced mobilization, third time in history. People who had no knowledge in war had enough time, to receive it. Won't forgive myself if I don’t join and attend this historic moment. All our international friends, please continue to help, we need it. Slava Ukraine."

Over the past several months, Alexandr Dolgopolov has relentlessly strived to gather support on social media. He also tried to facilitate conversations around the day-to-day brutality faced by his countrymen. He urged fans to carry the Ukrainian flag to matches involving Russian and Belarusian players in solidarity during the 2022 U.S. Open.

Former Ukrainian player Sergiy Stakhovsky lauded Alexandr Dolgopolov for his undertaking, commending him for his courage to show up for national duty:

"It takes a lot of courage to accept the terms of reality and do not stay in the shadow enjoy (well deserved) life. I salute you."

Alexandr Dolgopolov's fellow countrymen Marta Kostyuk lends hand at providing humanitarian aid in war-affected regions

Marta Kostyuk has contributed toward humanitarian aid in regions of Kharkiv and Luhansk.

Alexandr Dolgopolov isn't the only one doing his bit for Ukraine. Marta Kostyuk has left no stone unturned in supporting her countrymen in these dire times. The Ukraine No. 2 recently joined hands with a charity organization to help provide food and other humanitarian aid to regions most severely affected by the ongoing war.

Kostyuk explained that she and her team are hopeful of expanding their reach in the near future and that she was gratified to be of help:

"We will extend the geography of the regions and our help, right now the most affected ones receive this aid. I checked the food packages, there are pasta, canned food, flour. It's nice to be useful, to be a part of the process. I'm glad to see the results."