Maksim Chmerkovskiy is currently in Ukraine and has been sharing heartbreaking updates amidst the Russian attack.
The former Dancing With The Stars pro dancer grew up in the Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union. He was been staying there for six months filming a TV show.
On Thursday (February 24), he took to social media to shared updates on the on-ground situation. He shared videos and said:
“This is the reality.”
He spoke about what is happening, fighting back tears as he said:
“I’m in Kyiv, contrary to what I probably should’ve done a while ago, and not that no one saw this coming, but everybody was hoping that the finality of this situation would be averted, that there wasn’t going to be these kind of aggressive measures.
I want to go back home [to the U.S.]. And I realize that I have the way to — I realize that I have a different passport, and my family is far away.”
He acknowledged that many he knew in Ukraine “can’t just escape,” adding:
“I am not at this point someone who is pleading for someone else’s safety from a far distance, from a safe distance. I’m somebody who’s about to go into a bomb shelter because s**t’s going down.”
Here’s the rest of Maksim’s heartbreaking message:
“In 2022’s civilized world, this is not the way we do things. I think the Russians need to get up and actually say something, because no one’s opinion is being heard. This is all one man’s ambition of something, and however convenient it sounds in Moscow, however comfortable you are where you are in Russia, I just don’t think this is the right thing.
I’m uneasy, I’m very scared … but I do know, at the very least, I have a chance. I have a passport and a way out. A lot of people here do not, and it’s f–king nonsense.
I have [had] a f–king incredible pleasure to spend, on the ground, about six months now, and I’ve fell back in love — I never fell out of love, but I know now who these people are. I know who this country is, what it represents, what it stands for. And it’s completely not what is being portrayed to the Russian people in order to justify this invasion.
I’m gonna do my best to try and keep you informed. I’m not a journalist — I have absolutely no reason to do this other than I just want an opinion of someone else, ’cause news is crazy and the reports have been insane. Love you all.”
He also wrote this caption:
“I will never be the same. This is stressful and I’m getting old feelings back, like I’ve done this before. This does feel like the way it was when and why we left in the 90s. Like my old PTSD I’ve finally fixed is coming back. I literally only just forgot about those “always on the edge” feelings and actually started worrying about things like bbq grills.
I’m crying as I’m typing this because all man deserves to worry about “bbq grills” and not fucking war. Hug your loved ones.”
The following day, Friday (February 25), Maksim shared a new update on his Instagram Stories. He said:
“I don’t know what my purpose with all this – I’m just saying what I’m seeing. I’m giving you my best impression of what it actually is.”
He revealed that some of his friends were shot at while in their car fleeing to the Poland-Ukraine border, and that it took one of them around eight hours before he made it out:
“It seems that the Ukrainian army is doing an incredible job at stopping any kind of advancement of Russian forces.”
Maksim said that one of his main concerns is getting children to safety and ensuring the elderly are taken care of. He emotionally added:
“I don’t know the answer. I just want the shooting to stop.”
Maksim is married to fellow DWTS pro Peta Mergatroyd. They are parents to a five-year-old son.
On Thursday, Peta took to Instagram to share a lengthy post about being overwhelmed by pain at what her husband and other civilians are going through in Ukraine, writing:
“Many of you are asking for details and I don’t have the answers, but yes, he is safe right now…
Please pray that he comes home soon. Please pray that he has a swift, safe exit… Please pray for Ukraine and the innocent civilians who’s lives are being greatly uprooted.”
