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.