Utahns worry for family, friends in Ukraine as Russia invades
Feb 24, 2022, 1:59 PM | Updated: Jun 13, 2022, 4:52 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — One Utahn who has family in Ukraine has been up all night waiting to hear if they are safe.
Katie Adams Anderton says her cousins live in the eastern part of Ukraine, not far from where Russian forces were positioned. She said they’re in hiding and have nowhere to go.
As explosions rang out in various parts of Ukraine, Anderton got a call from her cousin.
“She told me that they were being bombed. She said that the rockets were getting closer and closer.”
Katie Adams Anderton says her cousins live in the eastern part of Ukraine, not far from where Russian forces were positioned. (KSL TV)
She described the panic of rushing out of their apartment – not knowing they’ll be able to return.
“She packed up all of her documentation, passports, birth certificate, money,” Anderton said.
Their beloved homeland was under attack, with many fleeing for safety — but their options are limited.
“The airports have been bombed so there was definitely no way of getting out. They’re basically having war and my cousin is stuck in a basement with no WiFi.”
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Anderton worried her limited conversations with her relatives could be her last.
“At different points, it just felt like, ‘OK, well, I love you. I’m going to say it because I don’t know if I’ll be able to talk to you again.’”
Anderton fears Russia won’t back down and more innocent lives will be taken.
“What’s going on on the ground is terrifying. People are dying like my relatives. What is this all for? It’s all for nothing.”
Anderton said her cousin has a U.S. visa and could have returned to America, but she did not want to leave behind her brother and mother.
