'It is so scary': NJ family speaks with loved ones hiding in basement of home in Ukraine
"Five days ago, we lived peacefully. We had peaceful sky above our heads," one woman said while hiding in a basement.
HAINESPORT, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Families across the Delaware Valley are praying for their loved ones in Ukraine.
Yevgeniy Pakkel, of Hainesport, is from Kyiv. On Monday, he talked to some of his family via Zoom.
"Five days ago, we lived peacefully," said one of his family members on the call. "We had peaceful sky above our heads. But (Vladimir Putin) came in and is destroying us and destroying Ukraine."
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The family members on the call were hiding, huddled together in the basement of their home. They are starting to run out of food and water.
"When they talk to me they say it is so scary," said Luda Boreiko.
While they are scared, they say no amount of destruction can weaken the resiliency and the resolve of the Ukrainian people.
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The family in Ukraine asked for the people of the United States and the world to hear their message: "To hear our Ukrainian President, to really hear him and provide us arms. There is not enough arms. If you think it's enough arms, it's not enough. We are gonna fight this to the end."
The U.N. estimated Monday that more than 520,000 people have already escaped. Long lines of cars and buses were backed up at checkpoints at the borders of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and non-EU member Moldova.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
