SAN ANTONIO — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows no signs of slowing down, with leaders demanding the surrender of the port city of Mariupol, from which thousands of people have fled.
Ukrainian groups here in San Antonio are trying to help them out.
After weeks of attacks on Igor Guriev’s home city of Mariupol, his family had to go. They shared how they had to drive for hundreds of kilometers to escape Russian troops.
“We’re leaving the city and you’re driving, there’s craters in the ground from the bombs. Buildings burning, people just laying on the ground dead,” Guriev told KENS 5 through Olena Khrystyuk, of Ukrainian San Antonio.
Khrystyuk is staying in contact with Guriev’s family, who says they tried helping relatives out before the conflict got worse.
“He wanted to bring water to his mom, he was able to do it before March 8," Khrystyuk said. "But after March 8 when there was airplane bombing, he couldn’t do anything."
Guriev became lost contact with family as bombs destroyed the high-rise buildings in the port city where his business is located.
“You could see the bombs going through the building, this nine-story building is very wide, and parts of the building were gone completely,” Khrystyuk said.
It’s part of why groups like Ukrainian San Antonio are urging the public to help, whether it's through supply donations or financially assisting families like Guriev’s, who are going through a crisis.
“The suffering of the Ukrainian people is real," Khrystyuk said. "It’s worse than anybody could have ever imagined."
Guriev is in a safe location for now, but he and many Ukrainians around the world are hopeful other countries can do their part.
“Because this war in Ukraine, it’s not about Ukraine," Khrystyuk said. "This is a war on democracy and the free world. It touches all of us and it's important to us as Americans to help Ukraine at this very difficult time."