Marriage off after 26 years: Vitali and Natalia Klitschko live separately

Vitali Klitschko and his wife Natalia have been going their separate ways for years - now they are officially ending their long-term marriage.

Marriage off after 26 years: Vitali and Natalia Klitschko live separately

Vitali Klitschko and his wife Natalia have been going their separate ways for years - now they are officially ending their long-term marriage. The ex-boxer and the ex-model live in different cities - he in Kyiv, she in Hamburg. But their commitment to their home country still unites them.

Ex-boxer and mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko and his wife Natalia have split. "We filed for divorce together because we have been living apart for years and want to do it officially now," confirmed the 51-year-old from the "Bild" newspaper. The couple was married for 26 years. The boxer and the model got married in 1996. They have three children together.

Son Yegor-Daniel was born in 2000, followed by Elizabeth-Victoria in 2002 and Max in 2005 - named after the German boxing icon Max Schmeling. "I would always support him and always follow him," said Natalia Klitschko in an interview with "Welt". Klitschko did not provide any information about the reasons for the marriage.

"We have a very good relationship with each other and respect each other, but we've been living separately in different cities for a long time," said Klitschko. According to the report, Natalia Klitschko lives in Hamburg. As mayor of Kyiv, Klitschko is a central figure in the war against Russia. The 48-year-old is committed to helping people who have fled from their homeland in the Hanseatic city.

Like his younger brother Wladimir, Klitschko can look back on a successful career as an athlete. He stood for a professional fight in the boxing ring 47 times. He left him 45 times as the winner, 41 times by knockout. Injuries stopped him twice.

The two brothers never fought, despite allegedly offering moon sums of up to 100 million dollars from promoters and sponsors.

After the end of his sports career, Klitschko took off in politics. In 2006 he ran for the post of mayor of Kyiv for the first time. In 2014 he finally made it to the city hall of the Ukrainian capital. He most recently won re-election in 2020.