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The shift was lengthy over, however she wasn’t prepared to depart. Not till the Ukrainian refugee household she had been serving to was safely on a prepare.

Donning a pink vest and switching seamlessly between Ukrainian, Russian and Czech languages, she is without doubt one of the Iniciativa Hlavák (Fundamental Station Initiative) volunteers aiding refugees on the fundamental rail station in Prague.

She offers individuals instructions, helps with prepare tickets and passes on essential details about the place to get assist. Volunteering is her means of “doing one thing,” she instructed CNN.

“I’m not Ukrainian,” she mentioned quietly. “I’m Russian.”

“We have to do one thing about this,” she added. “No person [in Russia] is listening after we communicate up, however at the least right here I can do one thing.”

The volunteer requested for her final identify to not be revealed due to considerations over her security.

“I don’t know what sort of legislation is coming subsequent in Russia. I might be referred to as a overseas agent for serving to Ukrainians, and if I wish to return to Russia to go to my mother and father’ grave, it might be an issue,” she mentioned.

A fellow volunteer Maksym Bobrov has related motivations for serving to on the prepare station.

The 23-year-old is initially from Kryvyi Rih in Ukraine, however has been residing and finding out in Prague for the previous six years.

“I have to do one thing. I learn the information every single day, and every single day I hope my hometown won’t be struck,” he mentioned, recounting a latest journey by a member of the family by the location of a lethal assault in Vinnytsia.

“They left the sq. the place it occurred simply minutes earlier than the hit,” he mentioned.

Throughout one three-hour-long shift final week, Bobrov helped numerous individuals.

When a humanitarian prepare heading to the Polish city of Przemysl pulled in, he was available to assist dozens of individuals — principally girls with youngsters — with luggage, standing subsequent to the prepare and lifting a suitcase after suitcase.

He isn’t going residence anytime quickly, having been not too long ago reunited together with his mother, who joined him in Prague.

“When she hears a airplane, she will get up and begins panicking. I’ve to guarantee her it’s only a regular airplane, not a fighter jet,” he mentioned.