Ukrainians in Atlanta fear for safety and future of countrymen

February 24th, 2022

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.

She joined Morning Edition to share what she’s been hearing from people on the ground in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine.

Lendiel says she was up nearly all night frantically communicating with friends in her home country, many of whom she says are either preparing to flee or arming themselves to defend Ukraine.

“Some people are panicking and they’re really afraid for their lives, that there will be a takeover of Kyiv,” Lendiel said. “But some people are ready to defend the city as long as it takes.”

So far, Russian forces have mounted the initial phase of a large-scale invasion of Ukraine and experts say the aim is to seize the capital Kyiv.

Christopher Alston contributed to this report.