Issued in 2024 under wartime conditions, this coin commemorates Ukrainian boxing champion Vasyl Lomachenko, whose nickname "The Matrix" and near-universal recognition in the sport made him an unusual choice for a circulating-denomination commemorative — the 5 hryvnia format typically reserved for historical or cultural subjects. Lomachenko had returned to Ukraine in 2022 to join a territorial defense battalion following Russia's full-scale invasion, a decision that drew international attention and complicated his boxing career mid-prime.
Issued in 2024 under wartime conditions, this coin commemorates Ukrainian boxing champion Vasyl Lomachenko, whose nickname "The Matrix" and near-universal recognition in the sport made him an unusual choice for a circulating-denomination commemorative — the 5 hryvnia format typically reserved for historical or cultural subjects. Lomachenko had returned to Ukraine in 2022 to join a territorial defense battalion following Russia's full-scale invasion, a decision that drew international attention and complicated his boxing career mid-prime.