Elina Kuperman can’t believe what she's seeing unfold in her native Ukraine.
Born, raised and married in Kyiv, she and her husband fled in 1989 before the fall of the Soviet Union coming to the U.S. as refugees.
The San Ramon engineer is now terrified for her father, family and friends who have remained in Ukraine’s capital city.
“Nobody in this day and age would think in the 21st century somebody would just throw bombs,” said Kuperman. “They right now are hiding in their apartment. They live in a nine story building. There’s no shelter there.”
Yevgeniya Piddubna spoke to NBC Bay Area from central Ukraine Tuesday after fleeing from her home in Kiev a few days ago. She never imagined things would have escalated the way they have.
“The situation is very tough. They are right now air striking residential areas in Kyiv the suburbs and everything is on fire,” she said. “We are tired of not sleeping. We are tired of crying all of the time. The psychological pressure that we can die, not only our brave Armed Forces but more and more people either from airstrikes or be shot in their cars.”
Back in the Bay Area, Kuperman can barely rest. She’s glued to Ukrainian TV and terrified for her loved ones.
“I sleep, I get up and first thing I’m checking on them I think while I sleep something might have happened to them,” said Kuperman.
She knows her people will never give up and hopes the U.S. and the west will do more to help.
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“I’m truly proud to be Ukrainian,” said Kuperman.
