Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing champion, observes that the country is sliding into authoritarianism as its war with Russia drags on.

Klitschko made the remarks during an interview with German news website Der Speigel that was published Friday.

"At some point we will no longer be any different from Russia, where everything depends on the whim of one man," Klitschko told the outlet, according to the Kyiv Independent.