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Ukrainian in Colorado Springs reflects on one month since Russia invaded

Viktoria Neville grew up in Kyiv.
Posted at 12:23 AM, Mar 25, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-25 07:39:39-04

COLORADO SPRINGS — For the last month, Viktoria Neville has sat in her Colorado Springs home and been glued to the news, as she watched her home-country of Ukraine endure massive attacks from Russian forces.

"I always ask myself how can this one person... Can decide future of our children?"

Neville first spoke with News 5 about tensions rising in Ukraine on January 28, just under a month before Russia invaded.

Since then, her sister, nieces, and their children have fled Kyiv and made their way into Poland. Neville's brother-in-law is fighting in the Ukrainian Army.

Her father was in America back on January 28, but flew to Ukraine after to war broke out to be with the rest of the family. He is still in Kyiv, hiding in basements and preparing to make the trip to Poland soon.

"When I talk to him he duck his head like - Can you hear? Can you hear? Explosions."

On Thursday, President Biden announced 100,000 Ukrainian refugees will be allowed to come to America, prioritizing reuniting families.

Although Neville asks her sister to come, she says she wants to stay in Europe for the time being.

"She says - Honestly, I want to go home."

Stephen Pitts, and Assistant Professor in the Political Science department at UCCS, says there are still a lot Americans who do not know about what will happen next when it comes to the war.

"We don't know what kind of conversations the Russians are having about this, and what are they really going to do? Because its not as if Putin has inexhaustible resources and can just keep throwing money and troops at this thing, there is a limited amount here."

Neville says she cannot stop watching videos of the horrors unfolding in Ukraine.

"How many people have to die? How many more?"

A list of way to help Ukraine can be found here.
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