Ukrainians in Atlanta fear for safety and future of countrymen

Women hold banners during a protest in front of the Ukrainian embassy in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2022. Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting cities and bases with air strikes or shelling, as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Air sirens woke up Ukrainians in the capital city of Kyiv as Russian air strikes hit Ukrainian military targets and Russian tanks rolled across Ukraine’s borders on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Ukrainians abroad are checking on the status of loved ones back home and trying to figure out travel plans if necessary.

Tetiana Lendiel is an immigration lawyer here in Atlanta who moved from Ukraine in 2012. She’s on the board for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America’s Georgia Branch, an organization that brings together Ukrainians in Atlanta and across the U.S.