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Many Ukrainians were up in the early hours of Sunday morning, for once not to seek shelter from incoming Russian missiles, but to celebrate the Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk<\/a> becoming the world\u2019s undisputed heavyweight champion.<\/p>\n Mr. Usyk\u2019s victory over the British boxer Tyson Fury was a rare piece of good news for an embattled nation that is struggling to contain Russian advances<\/a>, particularly in the northeast, where Moscow has opened a new front.<\/p>\n President Volodymyr Zelensky lauded the victory as a symbol of Ukraine\u2019s resilience.<\/p>\n \u201cUkrainians hit hard!\u201d Mr. Zelensky wrote in a Telegram post<\/a> around 3 a.m. that included a photograph of Mr. Usyk delivering a punch to Mr. Fury. \u201cAnd in the end, all our opponents will be overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n Ukrainian troops are currently engaged in fierce fighting to halt Russia\u2019s grinding advance all along the front line, and there are fears that some key positions may soon fall. Russian troops recently advanced farther into Robotyne, a village in the south that was one of the rare successes of Ukraine\u2019s failed counteroffensive last summer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Faced with such grim prospects, many Ukrainians watched the match hoping that a win would lift their spirits.<\/p>\n \u201cThis victory is very good for raising our morale,\u201d Valentyna Polishchuk, 54, said on Sunday in Kyiv, the capital. \u201cThings are not good in our country, and this is at least something good.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Maj. Ilya Yevlash, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, said that \u201cwithout a doubt,\u201d Mr. Usyk\u2019s victory \u201chad an impact on the morale of all Ukrainians, and we now desperately need such victories!\u201d<\/p>\n Many Ukrainian public figures, including former President Petro O. Poroshenko and the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, himself a former heavyweight world champion, joined in the celebrations, portraying the victory as evidence that Ukraine was capable of defeating a strong opponent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n On Sunday, another Ukrainian boxer, Denys Berinchyk<\/a>, won a lightweight world title, adding to the festive mood.<\/p>\n