Pennsylvania, New Jersey residents with ties to Ukraine watch in horror as war-torn terror unfolds

Locals with ties to Ukraine watch in horror as war-torn terror unfold

Kostyantyn Peredery, a Ukrainian who now resides in Chester County, is trying to cut through Russian disinformation by translating war news on a Telegram account. Tahszay Ford, a South Jersey resident who used to teach English in Ukraine, is keeping in touch with friends and raising money for those fleeing.

PHILADELPHIA - Locals with close ties to Ukraine have watched from afar as the place they called home continues to fight a fierce and bloody invasion effort from a world super power.

Kostyantyn Peredery, a native of Ukraine, moved to Chester County six years ago with his family to work in the field of Information Technology. Now, from Chester Springs, Kostyantyn watches as Vladimir Putin's Russian arm continues to bombard his homeland.

"It makes me very angry, it makes me very upset," Kostyantyn said. "And what I am seeing is that it's not Russian people, it's the Russian army because they've been fed lies, horrible, horrible lies."

To counter the lies and provide real-time accurate information on the war, Kostyantyn is translating news into English on the social media website Telegram under the handle ‘Ukraine for the World.’

"I hope it raises awareness for people of what’s happening on the ground, and it raises hope and helps the Ukraine," Kostyantyn said.

Ukrainian, Russian couple grapple with ongoing war

A local married couple with a husband from Ukraine and a wife from Russia have grappled with the ongoing Russian invasion. Explaining the bloodshed to their 5-year-old son has added a level of difficulty.

Tahszay Ford, a South Jersey resident, lived and worked in Ukraine as an English teacher. She's now keeping in touch with friends and former students in the war-torn country and has raised $1k online for those in need of food and transportation.

"My friends, they talk about like hearing bombs constantly, and they really fear for their lives," Ford said.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have sought safety at night in Kyiv's subway system and other makeshift shelters around the country, where parents try to calm their children's fears. Despite the shortages, lack of privacy and other challenges, Ukrainians were trying to put on a brave face.

Ukrainian authorities said at least seven people were killed and dozens were injured in fighting in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, where social media videos showed apartment buildings being shelled. They warned that the actual figures could be much higher.

FILE - A demonstrator carries a sign during a protest in support of Ukraine in Times Square, New York, on Feb. 26, 2022.

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said her office had confirmed that 102 civilians, including seven children, have been killed in the Russian invasion and 304 others wounded since Thursday, though she cautioned the tally was likely a vast undercount.

Ukrainian and Russian delegations met Monday on Ukraine’s border with Belarus. The meeting ended with no immediate reports of agreements, but Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said further talks could take place "in the near future."