DWTS pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy says he's on a train out of Ukraine amid invasion
Michael Loccisano/Getty Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dancing With the Stars alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy has made it out of his native Ukraine on a train amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the European country.
Chmerkovskiy shared he was "hopefully" en route to Warsaw, the capital of Poland, in an Instagram Story on Monday, noting he was in an overcrowded train cabin with four other adults and seven children.
"Train to Lviv was not an option," the dance pro wrote. "The situation at the train station is insane. At first it feels manageable, but it gets A LOT worse when it comes time to actually board the train. Long story but all I can say now is that I'm a big man with nothing but a backpack it's TRAUMATIZING."
Chmerkovskiy added that his cabin, carrying 12 people total, himself included, is intended for a maximum of three, writing, "There's usually up to 30 people in this particular wagon. We were told we have to fit 135. Walkways are packed. People everywhere. It's sweaty and claustrophobic."
maksimc/Instagram Maksim Chmerkovskiy shares an update on Instagram Story
Chmerkovskiy recently returned to Ukraine to host the country's iteration of World of Dance. When Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops stormed into the capital city of Kyiv on Feb. 24, Chmerkovskiy documented much of the disorder on Instagram, sharing videos of siren sounds and most recently, a video of unarmed Ukrainian civilians confronting Russian tanks.
"I will never be the same," Chmerkovskiy captioned one of his earlier videos. "This is stressful and I'm getting old feelings back, like I've done this before. This does feel like the way it was when and why we left in the '90s. Like my old PTSD I've finally fixed is coming back."
Putin has spent the last few months moving his troops toward the border of Ukraine, but Chmerkovskiy said it was difficult to fathom that the president would actually invade, noting, "Not that no one saw this coming, but that we hoped the finality of this situation would be averted, that there would not be these kind of aggressive measures.
In another video, Chmerkovskiy reflected on the privilege of his particular situation, noting that he has a passport and a "way out" when other Ukrainians could not say the same.
"I'm very scared and don't know what words to use, but I do know that at the very least I have a chance," he said. "I have a passport and a way out. A lot of people do not, and it's f---ing nonsense. I love Ukraine, it's an incredible pleasure to spend six months now on the ground. I fell back in love. I know now who these people are, what this country is, and what it stands for. It is totally not what is being portrayed to the Russian people in order to justify this invasion."
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