A 17-year-old exchange student from Luhansk, Ukraine, is watching the invasion of his home country in horror from his host family’s house in Nottingham.Daniil Shapovalov said his mother, grandmother, sister and friends are in bomb shelters as Russia attacks. He said some of his friends are over 18 and arming themselves to fight for their country, and he expects that some of them won’t return.His mother sent him a text message describing her surroundings, saying, “Where there were cities, now there is nothing.””I was trying to call my mom, and she wasn’t answering me because of all the explosions,” Daniil said. “The connection was like really bad, but at least she is alive.”His mother told him everyone was sitting in bomb shelters day and night, and people have no water, food or medicine.Daniil said this is something he never thought could happen in the 21st century.”I’m really nationalistic, and I love everything about Ukraine,” he said. “I love what it looks like, our citizens, allies, our people. What I can say about Ukraine? Ukraine is an independent country.”Kaitlyn Miller’s family is hosting Daniil. They support him the best they can by cooking Ukrainian food, even watching Harry Potter, but the reality always looms.”How do you grasp the fact that this is going on in the world, and you just feel guilty and you just wish you could do something, but at the same time you feel helpless because there’s nothing you can do,” Miller said. Daniil said his mother and grandmother now have train tickets and are trying desperately to get to Poland.
A 17-year-old exchange student from Luhansk, Ukraine, is watching the invasion of his home country in horror from his host family’s house in Nottingham.
Daniil Shapovalov said his mother, grandmother, sister and friends are in bomb shelters as Russia attacks. He said some of his friends are over 18 and arming themselves to fight for their country, and he expects that some of them won’t return.
His mother sent him a text message describing her surroundings, saying, “Where there were cities, now there is nothing.”
“I was trying to call my mom, and she wasn’t answering me because of all the explosions,” Daniil said. “The connection was like really bad, but at least she is alive.”
His mother told him everyone was sitting in bomb shelters day and night, and people have no water, food or medicine.
Daniil said this is something he never thought could happen in the 21st century.
“I’m really nationalistic, and I love everything about Ukraine,” he said. “I love what it looks like, our citizens, allies, our people. What I can say about Ukraine? Ukraine is an independent country.”
Kaitlyn Miller’s family is hosting Daniil.
They support him the best they can by cooking Ukrainian food, even watching Harry Potter, but the reality always looms.
“How do you grasp the fact that this is going on in the world, and you just feel guilty and you just wish you could do something, but at the same time you feel helpless because there’s nothing you can do,” Miller said.
Daniil said his mother and grandmother now have train tickets and are trying desperately to get to Poland.
