A Ukrainian woman and her two daughters are now in Kitchener after fleeing the war-torn country.
Nataliia Kurhan lived in Dnipro, an eastern-central Ukrainian city that has been targeted by Russian troops.
“They destroyed about eight military bases around our city,” Kurhan said. “It was quite scary and dangerous to stay.”
When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Kurhan and her daughters packed up what they could and started driving west towards Romania.
She said the roads were not very good as she had to take back roads to try and avoid traffic jams.
“I hit my car in one of the places, just because it was really slippery. Unfortunately, I had the first car accident in my life, but everyone was okay,” she said.
The journey took her eight days, driving each night under the cover of darkness.
She said she drove past Russian military tanks and saw bombings along the way.
“We could see the light, you know light in the sky, huge light. And we realized, ‘okay that was shelling somewhere,’" she said.
When she arrived in Romania, she stayed there for a few nights. She said her host family was very generous, providing them with free food and clothes.
“I’m very grateful to everyone who is helping Ukrainian people all around the world,” she said.
Kurhan got a hold of the Canadian Embassy in Romania and booked a flight to Canada.
She arrived on March 13, reuniting with her husband who was already in Kitchener.
“I had to save my daughters,” Kurhan said of her harrowing journey.
Kurhan's mom and sister are still in Ukraine, in a city that’s currently occupied by Russian troops. She said her family aren’t able to leave Ukraine as troops have set up checkpoints around the city.
“They are in big danger,” she said.
Kurhan is now collecting and sending donations to Ukraine to help those who are stuck in the worn-torn country.
“If I can do something from here, I will do it,” she said. “I will go out to any organization and I will help with any humanitarian aid, and I will do my best to collect money and send it. They really need our help.”
She said while Kitchener is now her home, she does plan on going back to Ukraine once the war is over, to help with clean up efforts.
Editor’s note: Due to safety concerns, the city where Nataliia Kurhan’s mother and sister live is not named in this reporting.
