Nataliya Kozhenova moved to India around 11 years ago to pursue a career in acting. Like any foreign actress, she had her goals and dreams, but today, Nataliya lives every moment in fear as the situation continues to deteriorate in her country, Ukraine. As reports and visuals of Russia attacking Ukraine are pouring in, Nataliya, who has featured in the web show ‘
Gandii Baat
’ and films like ‘
Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?
?’ and ‘
Anjunaa Beach
’, is worried about the safety of her family. She says, “My entire family - including my mother, step-father, two brothers and two nephews (aged 19 and 29 years) - lives in Rivne City in Ukraine. The situation in my country is dire. The Russians have attacked us aggressively and invaded multiple cities. They have launched an attack on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. People don’t stand a chance to board a bus or a flight out of Ukraine, which has now become a war zone. There have been a series of bomb blasts. More than 200 deaths have been recorded so far.”
She adds, “We can’t stand the power and military might of a superpower like Russia. Innately, Ukrainians are calm people and don’t harm anyone. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that this is the end of Ukraine, and the move he has made makes his intentions amply clear.”
Nataliya Kozhenova's family in Ukraine
Worried about the safety of her loved ones, the actress is praying for a miracle. Nataliya shares, “No one knows what will happen next because the situation is very bad and unpredictable. People are in a quandary. Everyone is in a state of shock. There is a lot of panic among people. I spoke with my mother a couple of hours ago, who told me that the Russian troops are closing in on their city as well and they are being asked to evacuate homes and rush to bomb-blast shelters. My family has locked itself inside the house as they fear getting killed. I have started facing network issues and I fear not being able to reach them, eventually.”
The actress, who wrapped up the shoot for the film ‘
Bhanumati
’ recently, adds, “I have been on edge since yesterday and I can’t wrap my head around the crisis unfolding in my country. I don’t know how to help my family and get them out of there. I desperately want them to come to India, but there is no way to do it. I don’t know when I will reunite with them. If anything happens to my family, I will become an orphan. I don’t have anybody other than them. I hope India supports Ukraine. There are so many Indians studying in my country. Many Indian students are in danger, and I hope they don’t suffer the same fate that awaits the Ukrainians.”
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