Former Ch. 9 employee from Ukraine holds onto hope that family stays safe as bombings continue

CHARLOTTE — The commander of the Ukrainian Marine forces said the situation at Mariupol is critical as Russia continues to bombard the key port.

[PAST COVERAGE: Ukrainian defenders dig in as Russia boosts firepower]

Ukrainian natives are holding onto hope the Russian siege will end soon, so they can return to their homelands and rebuild after the war is over.

Channel 9 spoke with one of its former employees who is from Kharkiv, which has been devastated by relentless attacks.

Yevgeniya “Yev” Solodovnikova worked at WSOC for four years as an editor and shared before-and-after photos of the destruction in her hometown.

“The bombs are nonstop,” said Solodovnikova, who now lives in New Jersey.

Her hometown is 40 miles from the Russian border.

“We were on Skype with them when (we) heard an explosion outside of their windows, and we lost connection,” Solodovnikova said about a conversation she had with her in-laws about one month ago. “So it was very scary.”

They are fine, but the building is ruined.

[PAST COVERAGE: Putin vows to press invasion until Russia’s goals are met]

Solodovnikova shared a photo taken about 2 ½ years ago of her and her daughter on the balcony.

“The day was so beautiful that I just wanted to take her to the balcony, so she can smell that same beautiful air,” Solodovnikova said.

She also had a photo of the same balcony destroyed after the bombing.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Solodovnikova said.

Solodovnikova said she tries to focus on memories from before the war.

“I just want this to be over right away and stopped,” she said.

(Watch the video below: Russia attacks Ukraine: What you need to know)

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