'DWTS' Maksim Chmerkovskiy of Ukraine posts tearful video from Kyiv: 'I'm very scared'
24.02.2022 - 21:13
/ foxnews.com
Ukranian-born star Maks Chmerkovskiy, a choreographer known for showcasing his talents on "Dancing with the Stars," revealed on Thursday that he's currently in his native country of Ukraine and terrified as he plans to head to a bomb shelter. Chmerkovskiy shared a glimpse of the scene unfolding in the heart of Kyiv, where parents could be seen walking with their children with bags and suitcases, desperate to get out. Russia launched an attack on Ukraine, including Kyiv, overnight Wednesday that Russia called a "special military operation," killing dozens.
Chmerkovskiy, 42, said he's not one to post to social media, but felt compelled to speak out against the "propaganda" in Russia. "I'm in Kyiv, contrary to what I probably should have done a while ago, but again everybody has sources and resources and I have mine and I trust my sources and no one saw this coming. Not that no one saw this coming, but everyone was hoping that the finality of this situation would be averted, that there's not going to be this kind of aggression," he began in the video.
His video showed ambulances and big trucks making their way down the streets. "That's military," he continued, adding that he's been "getting really emotional." "You know me, I stay strong, and I don't show it, but I want to go back home, and I realize that I have the weight to. I realize that. I have a different passport and my family is far away.
What I'm realizing is that my friends, their kids, are here. Moms, dads are here, and elderly people are here, and they can't just escape," Chmerkovskiy said. (L-R) Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd attend the 2021 World Choreography Awards at Globe Theatre Los Angeles on December 13, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.