Newlywed couple finds safety in Connecticut after fleeing Ukraine

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — A newlywed European couple landed safely in Connecticut after fleeing from the conflict in Ukraine towards Russia.

Semen Bobrovskii and Daria Sakhniuk discovered a sponsor in Connecticut to deal with them and have been given humanitarian parole. The 2 had been staying at a refugee camp in Tijuana, Mexico. That’s the place they met Hartford immigration lawyer Dana Bucin.

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The couple, who met in 2018, left Kyiv in late February as soon as the conflict began. They then left the nation, the place Sakhniuk is from, in March.

“Proper now, we’re feeling secure. Proper now, we really feel like we’re standing on the bottom with each ft so it feels good, stated Bobrovskii. “It feels good to be secure and be standing on American soil.”

The conflict is getting into its tenth week. Bobrovskii stated, as a Russian, he feels each unhappy and responsible. He feels as if he has been betrayed by his personal nation and feels as in the event that they need to “kill” him. He lived in Ukraine for 4 years earlier than leaving.

“It’s by no means going to be the identical Russia to me,” he stated. 

The couple stated there is no such thing as a freedom of speech in Russia and individuals are afraid to talk out towards the conflict. He says those that do are crushed and put in jail. They stated there’s not a trustable supply of knowledge within the nation.

“Probably the most horrible factor about it’s, due to the Russian propaganda, folks don’t perceive utterly what’s going on within the Ukrainian cities and cities,” stated Sakhniuk, utilizing her husband as a translator. 

The 2 had been alleged to get married in Kyiv. As an alternative, they acquired married on the camp on her birthday, April 13.

“It’s simply great. She’s now calling me ‘husband,’ I name her ‘spouse,’” he stated. “Makes us really feel that it’s not a loss. That humanity will win.”

Mates picked them up from Kyiv and took them to a house close to her kinfolk the place they stayed for a month. He did enterprise again to the town to see what it was like however stated it was not secure. They stated a pal misplaced a toddler within the conflict.

“The home we’ve been dwelling in was shaking prefer it was an earthquake,” he stated.

They known as the conflict “genocide” from the Russian authorities and need a cause as to why it’s taking place. They are saying the 2 international locations are household.

The 2 finally made their technique to Mexico the place 1000’s of refugees are stationed. That’s the place they met Bucin, a companion at Murtha Cullina LLP. She can also be with the Honorary Consul of Romania to Connecticut. She stated she noticed her residence nation of Romania accepting Ukrainian refugees and wished to assist as effectively. Then, she discovered refugees had been gathering on the Tijuana border close to San Diego.

“I stated to myself, “That is it. That is what I have to do,” stated Bucin. “There have been so lots of them who didn’t know their rights. They didn’t know what to ask for.”

Donations she collected helped cowl journey prices. Many are getting one-year humanitarian parole, which is granted to folks for emergency causes and public profit. She spent three days on the border.

“It’s very hectic,” she stated. “There’s a whole lot of youngsters. Numerous infants. One-month-old infants.”

She stated individuals are assigned a quantity and known as when they are often loaded on a bus to the border. Most people who come, she says, know somebody within the U.S. The opposite 10% are those that don’t have housing.

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On the San Diego airport, she stated they bumped into many refugees going all throughout the nation.

“Flying to random locations simply because some church neighborhood over there who doesn’t know them has provided to take them in,” she stated.

She stated Bobrovskii and Sakhniuk might be a profit to the neighborhood, whether or not they keep long-term or not, as he’s a listening to help specialist and he or she was an workplace supervisor at a dentist’s workplace.

The couple stated they aren’t positive if they’d return to Europe. After some relaxation, he says they’ll attempt to make issues work.

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Bucin recommends different immigrant attorneys assist these on the border as effectively. She stated it’s the begin of a brand new life, however that there are nonetheless many hurdles to beat after coming to America.

She needs to get better from the journey due to how intense it was and would think about going once more however stated extra funding could be wanted to assist the mission.

“We additionally need to say to the world that we consider in our nation,” Sakhniuk stated. “We consider within the victory of Ukraine and we’ll come again to construct the nice Ukraine that we love.”

Tony Black is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 Information. He could be reached at tblack@fox61.com. Comply with him on Fb, Twitter and Instagram.

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