Martin auctions Olympic silver medal to aid Ukrainian children

Cyclist Tony Martin will auction his silver medal from the 2012 London Olympics to raise money for children affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the German said on Sunday.

After more than four weeks of fighting, the conflict has killed thousands of people, sent nearly 3.8 million abroad and driven more than half of Ukraine's children from their homes, according to the United Nations.

Russia calls its actions a "special military operation".

"Everyday I see the terrible pictures from Ukraine in tv and it feels so wrong to sit on the couch and accept this situation," Martin wrote on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CbmVvYNAlkr. "I also want to do my small part and help.

"It's not easy to separate me from the biggest trophy I could win in my career but considering the fact that millions of people lost almost everything, it is something I really want to do."

Martin, 36, won four individual time trial titles at the world championships in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016, and five Tour de France stages. He retired from the sport last year.

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)