(WHDH) — A United States citizen who is currently in Ukraine says he plans on staying in the country to help families get to safety.
Taras Petro, who has ties to Massachusetts, had been working in Ukraine as a translator when Russia invaded.
“I’ve turned from translator to transporter,” he told 7NEWS. “Most of the day from morning to night I’m transporting women and children from the city to the border.”
Petro is staying just miles from the Polish border and has made it his mission to help those who are also still in Ukraine.
“I have to end up putting them in an Airbnb out of my own pocket because I can’t just leave them in the middle of the street with two or three kids,” he said. “It is heartbreaking. It is troublesome and you can only do so much.”
On Sunday, Russian forces launched an airstrike on a military base near where Petro is currently staying. The attack killed dozens of people.
“I saw one of the missiles lights flying past,” Petro recalled. “If God forbid that missile went another two or three minutes, it would have been at the Polish border.”
Even as Russia escalates its attacks on Western Ukraine, Petro says he is not ready to leave.
“My plan is to stay and be of as much good use as possible,” he said. “All the help counts at this point, no matter how large or small.”
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