Hayden Panettiere, 32, confirmed that the daughter she shares with Ukrainian Hall of Fame boxer Wladimir Klitschko, 45, is ‘safe’ amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Nashville actress took to social media with an impassioned post in support of the Ukrainian people who are defending their nation against Vladimir Putin’s army which attacked several cities this week.
In a comment to a concerned fan, Hayden revealed that seven-year-old Kaya is not in the country with her father. Klitschko, however, is still in Kyiv where his brother Vitali, 50, serves as the mayor.
Safe: Hayden Panettiere, 32, confirmed that the daughter she shares with Ukrainian Hall of Fame boxer Wladimir Klitschko, 45, is ‘safe’ amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine
‘I have personally witnessed the strength of the Ukrainian people who fought so hard for their independence and have continued to passionately defend their country over the years,’ Hayden penned.
‘What Putin is doing is an absolute disgrace! This horrific moment in history sends a terrifying message: the message that in this day and age, in year 2022, it’s okay to violate the rights of free people and allow autocrats like Putin to take whatever they please.’
‘I’m praying for my family and friends there and everyone who’s fighting. I wish you had more support and I wish I was there fighting with you! For now, I ask for those of us who can’t be there to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and show your support for #democracy,’ she concluded.
When one commenter asked about the safety of the daughter shared with her Ukranian ex, Hayden said she was ‘safe and not in Ukraine.’
She stands with Ukraine: The Nashville actress took to social media with an impassioned post in support of the Ukrainian people who are defending their nation against Vladimir Putin’s army which attacked several cities this week (Wladimir and Hayden in 2013)
Safe: In a comment to a concerned fan, Hayden revealed that seven-year-old Kaya is not in the country with her father
Her ex-fiancé, Wladimir, is remaining in Kyiv alongside his brother who has been the mayor since 2014. The pair have vowed to fight in the army against the Russian forces.
During and appearance on Good Morning Britain, the mayor said; “It’s already a bloody war,” adding: ‘I don’t have another choice. I have to do that. I would fight.”
Wladimir, who enlisted in the Ukrainian military earlier this month, has been penning impassioned please for unity and democracy on social media.
‘It is not “the war of Ukraine”, it is Putin’s war. Meticulous preparations were hidden behind the fog of the last few weeks in order to set in motion a plan that had been drawn up for months,’ he wrote.
Adding: ‘Destruction and death come upon us. That’s it, blood will mix with tears.
‘It is not “the war of Ukraine”, it is Putin’s war. Meticulous preparations were hidden behind the fog of the last few weeks in order to set in motion a plan that had been drawn up for months,’ wrote Wladimir in a social media post
‘We must face reality and have the courage to draw the conclusions for our future and that of our children. This is a blatant violation of international law. And, if you listen carefully, this war is also talking about Europe,’ he continued.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian-born Dancing With the Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy has said the whole of Ukraine ‘is being called to go to war’.
The professional dancer, 42, posted two videos on Friday telling fans he’s ‘safe’ but gave warning of the increasingly ‘aggressive’ and ‘dire’ situation in the country.
He also clarified in the second video that he is ‘not currently trying to leave’ Ukraine, explaining: ‘I’m not moving towards the border… it’s, I heard, not safe.’
His comments come as it was reported Friday that men of ‘fighting age’ were told to remain in the country as Russian missiles pounded Kyiv, according to Reuters.
Fighting: Wladimir Klitschko, who enlisted in the Ukranian military this month, is still in Kyiv where his brother Vitali, 50, serves as the mayor; the pair have vowed to take up arms to defend their nation
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Ukrainians – mainly women and children – are reported to have crossed into Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
Chmerkovskiy began his video saying: ‘I’m out here, again, I’m safe. We haven’t been told to move, and I’m just following instructions. That’s all I can say.’
‘But the reality is that I’m also talking to my friends that are here, the Ukrainians, and the situation is pretty dire.’
Chmerkovski added that people in the country ‘are being mobilized’ saying: ‘The whole country is being called to go to war. Men, women, boys… are going forward and getting guns and getting deployed to defend the country.’
The update comes as a senior US defense official said Friday that Russia has ‘about a third of their combat power’ in Ukraine, adding: ‘That does not mean that they will not commit more.’
The DWTS pro also warned that people in the Ukraine ‘are very aggressively charged.’
Update: Maksim Chmerkovskiy says he is ‘safe’ in Ukraine but warns ‘the situation is pretty dire’ as he remains in Kyiv following Russian invasion
He said: ‘If it’s not resolved in a peaceful manner in some way or form in the next day or so, or two, I think it’s gonna take a turn for very, very much more aggressive actions and a lot more casualties.’
Talking about the horrors of the situation, he added: ‘There are kids that are getting sick, people are sheltering and people that aren’t able to just get up and run, right: small children, elderly people.’
‘This is like it is in every conflict, I’m just drawing attention to the fact that this is what’s happening.’
On Thursday, Kyiv ordered civilians to bomb shelters and declared a curfew amid fears Russia will strike the city after Ukrainian troops lost control of a key airfield around 15 miles away.
In a video posted yesterday, Maksim also directly slammed Russian president Vladimir Putin: ‘I think that in 2022 [in a] civilized world, this is not the way we do things.’
‘This is all one man’s ambition’, he continued.
‘However it sounds, however convenient it sounds in Moscow, however comfortable you are where you are in Russia, I just don’t think that this is the right thing and this is the right steps and these are the correct actions.’
The star promised to try to keep followers abreast of the situation unfolding abroad and asked for people to respect his wife’s privacy at this time.
‘There’s ALWAYS another way! WAR is NEVER an answer! #standwithukraine,’ he penned in the caption of the video.
‘S**t’s going down’: Ukrainian-born Dancing With the Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy is fearing for his life and the lives of his friends in Kyiv following a Russian invasion into the country over night