‘It’s going to be a rough night’ — 2 DC-area men talk to WTOP from Ukraine

Two people living in Ukraine with ties to the D.C. area told WTOP that the Russian invasion is cementing the Ukrainians’ resolve, and hoped people in the U.S. keep the pressure on.

George Sajewich, of Silver Spring, Maryland, is in Kyiv with the Ukrainian armed forces’ volunteer medical battalion. He spoke to WTOP from a basement where he’s taking shelter, waiting for action to begin.

“Ukraine is my traditional ancestral homeland,” Sajewich said. “And so I figured I just got to do something. And if I could fight, I would go out and take up arms and fight.”

He did fight in one of the self-defense companies (“Ukraine pretty much did not have an army” at the time, he said) in the Maidan revolution in 2014. This time around, “I’m a little old for that.”

He said he’s learned that “the Russians kind of like to shoot at medics … because they say, and it’s true — a medic can save 10 soldiers, so he’s worth like 10 soldiers.”

Sajewich said he isn’t concerned for his safety, “but my family back home in Chicago is — really, they’re calling me every 20 minutes or so. … So I’ve got to promise to be careful. But I’ve got a lot of great friends here, and we support each other, and we can’t be afraid.”

He said he was angry at the U.S. government, and President Joe Biden, over the response so far. “He promised sanctions from hell. And I don’t see them. And the Russians — they just keep on going. And Putin is making a laughingstock of the leaders of the free world, the West. And it’s about time they finally realize what this guy is all about.”

His advice to Americans: “Get in touch with your senators and your congressmen and bring this up, because this is not right. You know, a promise is a promise.”

From Kyiv to Lviv

Myron Wasylyk, who moved from D.C. to Ukraine 30 years ago, said Wednesday started off as a normal day in Kyiv, where he’s an adviser to the CEO of Naftogaz Ukraine, the national oil and gas company. By the late morning, however, “We started to get pretty intense rumors about an imminent invasion.”

When he got confirmation from embassies and other sources, he sat down with his wife and “we just decided that that was the time to leave. So we packed the kids in the car and we drove seven hours to Lviv,” in the western part of the country. They saw Ukrainian tanks on the highway headed toward the border with Belarus, and they arrived in Lviv about a half-hour before the bombing began around Kyiv.

He said the progression of emotions worked quickly: “It’s a shock. And then you go to fear, and then you go to bewilderment. And from there you go on to — you know, hardening and then resolution.”

He said that’s where the Ukrainian people are.

“People are basically resolute and motivated to fight, and we’ve seen the different battles that are going on around the country. I think it’s fair to say that there will be no winners in this war. And for Putin to think that he can win — you know, he’s kidding himself.”

In Lviv, “We feel a little bit safer here than I think people do — our friends back in Kyiv, for sure.” Still, he added, “I think it’s going to be a rough night. Everybody’s expecting tonight to be a rough night and tomorrow to be a rough day.”

An elderly woman carries her cat as she flees from her hometown on the road towards Kyiv, in the town of Irpin, some 25 km (16 miles) northwest of Kyiv, Saturday, March 12, 2022. Kyiv northwest suburbs such as Irpin and Bucha have been enduring Russian shellfire and bombardments for over a week prompting residents to leave their homes. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Serhiy Kralya, 41, looks at the camera after surgery at a hospital in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine on Friday, March 11, 2022. Kralya was injured during shelling by Russian forces. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People carry their belongings after fleeing the war from neighbouring Ukraine, at the border crossing in Palanca, Moldova, Friday, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

An explosion in an apartment building that came under fire from a Russian army tank in Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 11, 2022. Ukraine’s military says Russian forces have captured the eastern outskirts of the besieged city of Mariupol. In a Facebook update Saturday, the military said the capture of Mariupol and Severodonetsk in the east were a priority for Russian forces. Mariupol has been under siege for over a week, with no electricity, gas or water. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Anastasia Erashova cries as she hugs her child in a corridor of a hospital in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine on Friday, March 11, 2022. Anastasia's other child was killed during the shelling of Mariupol. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) — Anastasia Erashova cries as she hugs her child in a corridor of a hospital in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine on Friday, March 11, 2022. Anastasia’s other child was killed during the shelling of Mariupol. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainians soldiers pass an improvised path under a destroyed bridge as they evacuate an elderly resident in Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, Saturday, March 12, 2022. Kyiv northwest suburbs such as Irpin and Bucha have been enduring Russian shellfire and bombardments for over a week prompting residents to leave their home. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A Ukrainian welder builds a tyre deflation stringer spike system in Lviv, western Ukraine, Saturday, March 12, 2022, in Lviv. Russia's war on Ukraine is now in its third week, the war has expanded to areas in western Ukraine, closer to NATO members Poland and Romania. The war has forced more than 2.5 million people to flee Ukraine. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) — A Ukrainian welder builds a tyre deflation stringer spike system in Lviv, western Ukraine, Saturday, March 12, 2022, in Lviv. Russia’s war on Ukraine is now in its third week, the war has expanded to areas in western Ukraine, closer to NATO members Poland and Romania. The war has forced more than 2.5 million people to flee Ukraine. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A woman holding a child on a Lviv bound train bids goodbye to a man in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 12, 2022. Fighting raged in the outskirts of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and Russia kept up its bombardment of other resisting cities. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) — A woman holding a child on a Lviv bound train bids goodbye to a man in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 12, 2022. Fighting raged in the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and Russia kept up its bombardment of other resisting cities. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Ukrainian soldiers help a fleeing family crossing the Irpin river on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A Ukrainian serviceman guards his position in Mariupol, Ukraine, Saturday, March 12, 2022. Ukraine’s military says Russian forces have captured the eastern outskirts of the besieged city of Mariupol. In a Facebook update Saturday, the military said the capture of Mariupol and Severodonetsk in the east were a priority for Russian forces. Mariupol has been under siege for over a week, with no electricity, gas or water. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

In this image made available by the Italian Interior Ministry, police and rescue services attend the scene of a bus crash near Forli, Italy, Sunday, March 13, 2022. Italian state radio says that a bus carrying about 50 refugees from Ukraine has overturned on a major highway in northern Italy, killing a passenger and injuring several others, none of them seriously. RAI radio said one woman died and that the rest of those aboard the bus were safely evacuated after the accident early Sunday near the town of Forli. (Italian Interior Ministry via AP)

A Taiwanese man wears a Ukraine national flag-patterned mask in protest against the invasion of Russia during a march in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

A man walks with a bicycle in a street damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, March 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian sitting man in a wheel chair, waits with other refugees at Przemysl train station, southeastern Poland, on Friday, March 11, 2022. Thousands of people have been killed and more than 2.3 million have fled the country since Russian troops crossed into Ukraine on Feb. 24. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

An Indian student studying in Ukraine who was evacuated from Sumy meets his family upon arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, Friday, March 11, 2022. Hundreds of Indian medical students stuck in bunkers in one of the worst-hit north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy returned home Friday. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

A Ukrainian woman waits at Przemysl train station, southeastern Poland, on Friday, March 11, 2022. Thousands of people have been killed and more than 2.3 million have fled the country since Russian troops crossed into Ukraine on Feb. 24. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis shakes hands with US Vice President Kamala Harris as she arrives for a meeting at Cotroceni Palace in Otopeni, Romania, Friday, March 11, 2022. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)

Mariana Vishegirskaya lies in a hospital bed after giving birth to her daughter Veronika, held by her husband Yuri, in Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 11, 2022. Vishegirskaya survived the Russian airstrike on a children’s and maternity hospital in Mariupol last Wednesday. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A woman holds baby after fleeing the conflict from neighboring Ukraine at the Przemysl train station in Przemysl, Poland, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry an injured pregnant woman from the damaged by shelling maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. A Russian attack has severely damaged a maternity hospital in the besieged port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials say. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People create a peace sign with lights as a demonstration for Ukraine at Heroes Square in Budapest, Hungary organised by Greenpeace, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has set off the largest mass migration in Europe in decades, with more than 1.5 million people having crossed from Ukraine into neighbouring countries. (AP Photo/Anna Szilagyi)

Cars drive past a destroyed Russian tank as a convoy of vehicles evacuating civilians leaves Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. A Russian airstrike devastated a maternity hospital Wednesday in the besieged port city of Mariupol amid growing warnings from the West that Moscow’s invasion is about to take a more brutal and indiscriminate turn. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A child looks out a steamy bus window with drawings on it as civilians are evacuated from Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. A Russian airstrike devastated a maternity hospital Wednesday in the besieged port city of Mariupol amid growing warnings from the West that Moscow’s invasion is about to take a more brutal and indiscriminate turn. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the government via teleconference in Moscow, Thursday, March 10, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Relatives and friends mourn the body of senior police sergeant Roman Rushchyshyn in the village of Soposhyn, outskirts of Lviv, western Ukraine, Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Lviv. Rushchyshyn, a member of the Lviv Special Police Patrol Battalion, was killed in the Luhansk Region. Temporary cease-fires to allow evacuations and humanitarian aid have repeatedly faltered, with Ukraine accusing Russia of continuing its bombardments. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Firefighters help a woman to evacuate from a damaged by shelling apartment building in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, March 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian serviceman takes a photograph of a damaged church after shelling in a residential district in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, March 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

An injured pregnant woman walks downstairs in the damaged by shelling maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. A Russian attack has severely damaged a maternity hospital in the besieged port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials say. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

LVIV, UKRAINE – MARCH 08: Family and friends gather round the grave of Ivan after a service at Lychakiv cemetery during a joint funeral for two soldiers who died in the east of the country during recent fighting, on March 08, 2022 in Lviv, Ukraine. The two servicemen, Victor, 44 who was killed in the Mykolaiv region and Ivan, 25, who was killed in the Zaporizhzhia region were laid to rest at the Lychakiv cemetery, surrounded by family, friends and colleagues. Russia continues assault on Ukraine’s major cities, including the capital Kyiv, more than a week after launching a large-scale invasion of the country. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

LVIV, UKRAINE – MARCH 09: Eugene says goodbye to his partner Tanya before boarding a train to Dnipro from the main train terminal on March 09, 2022 in Lviv, Ukraine. As Ukrainian civilians in the east flee to the relative safety of western cities such as Lviv, and abroad to escape Russia’s assault, many military personnel are heading east to help with the war effort. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

A Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces member hugs a resident who leaves his home town following Russian artillery shelling in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Oleksandr Ratushniak)

IRPIN, UKRAINE – MARCH 07: A man carries his dog as he flees fighting in Irpin via a destroyed bridge after Russian forces entered the city on March 07, 2022 in Irpin, Ukraine. Russia continues its assault on Ukraine’s major cities, including the capital Kyiv, more than a week after launching a large-scale invasion of the country. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

IRPIN, UKRAINE – MARCH 07: Residents of Irpin flee heavy fighting via a destroyed bridge as Russian forces entered the city on March 07, 2022 in Irpin, Ukraine. Yesterday, four civilians were killed by mortar fire along the road leading from Irpin to Kyiv, which has been a key evacuation route for people fleeing Russian forces advancing from the north. Today, Ukraine rejected as “unacceptable” a Russian proposal for a humanitarian corridor that leads from Kyiv to Belarus, a Russian ally that was a staging ground for the invasion. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

A woman who was evacuated areas around the Ukrainian capital, carries two babies after arriving at a triage point in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. A Russian airstrike devastated a maternity hospital Wednesday in the besieged port city of Mariupol amid growing warnings from the West that Moscow’s invasion is about to take a more brutal and indiscriminate turn. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

KROSCIENKO, POLAND – MARCH 07: People who fled the war in Ukraine wait to board a bus after crossing the Polish Ukrainian border on March 07, 2022 in Kroscienko, Poland. The country was already home to a large Ukrainian population of around 1.5 million, the region’s largest, making Poland a major destination for refugees from the current war. (Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images)

A Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces members hold an anti-tank weapon in a park on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. Authorities announced a new ceasefire on Wednesday to allow civilians to escape from towns around the capital, Kyiv, as well as the southern cities of Mariupol, Enerhodar and Volnovakha, Izyum in the east and Sumy in the northeast. Previous attempts to establish safe evacuation corridors have largely failed due to attacks by Russian forces. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Dead bodies are placed into a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022 as people cannot bury their dead because of the heavy shelling by Russian forces. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A military priest tries to comfort a crying woman who was evacuated from Irpin, at a triage point in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. A Russian airstrike devastated a maternity hospital Wednesday in the besieged port city of Mariupol amid growing warnings from the West that Moscow’s invasion is about to take a more brutal and indiscriminate turn. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Betti the dog sleeps in a bag after crossing from Ukraine in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

People who were evacuated from areas around the Ukrainian capital, wait on a bus after arriving at a triage point in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. A Russian airstrike devastated a maternity hospital Wednesday in the besieged port city of Mariupol amid growing warnings from the West that Moscow's invasion is about to take a more brutal and indiscriminate turn. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) — People who were evacuated from areas around the Ukrainian capital, wait on a bus after arriving at a triage point in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. A Russian airstrike devastated a maternity hospital Wednesday in the besieged port city of Mariupol amid growing warnings from the West that Moscow’s invasion is about to take a more brutal and indiscriminate turn. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Katya and her two dogs rest after fleeing from Ukraine, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. U.N. officials said that the Russian onslaught has forced 2 million people to flee Ukraine. It has trapped others inside besieged cities that are running low on food, water and medicine amid the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Ukrainian serviceman stands near to the monument of Duke de Richelieu, covered by sandbags to protect from possible damage, in Odesa, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Max Pshybyshevsky)

A firefighter holds the baby of a refugee fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Monday, March 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Ukrainian civilians receive weapons training, in the outskirts of Lviv, western Ukraine, Monday, March 7, 2022. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered its 12th day following what Ukrainian authorities described as increased shelling of encircled cities and another failed attempt to evacuate civilians from the port of Mariupol. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Ukrainian women sit inside a van as artillery echoes nearby, as people flee Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 7, 2022. Russia announced yet another cease-fire and a handful of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine. Previous such measures have fallen apart and Moscow’s armed forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets Monday. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Ukrainian soldiers and militiamen carry a woman in a wheelchair as the artillery echoes nearby, while people flee Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 7, 2022. Russia announced yet another cease-fire and a handful of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine. Previous such measures have fallen apart and Moscow’s armed forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets Monday. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A woman kisses a child after fleeing from the Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Monday, March 7, 2022. Russia announced yet another cease-fire and a handful of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine. Previous such measures have fallen apart and Moscow’s armed forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets Monday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

A woman holding a child cries after fleeing from the Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Monday, March 7, 2022. Russia announced yet another cease-fire and a handful of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine. Previous such measures have fallen apart and Moscow’s armed forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets Monday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

A man carries a woman as they cross an improvised path while fleeing the town of Irpin, Ukraine, Sunday, March 6, 2022. In Irpin, near Kyiv, a sea of people on foot and even in wheelbarrows trudged over the remains of a destroyed bridge to cross a river and leave the city. (AP Photo/Oleksandr Ratushniak)

The dead bodies of people killed by Russian shelling lay covered in the street in the town of Irpin, Ukraine, Sunday, March 6, 2022. With the Kremlin’s rhetoric growing fiercer and a reprieve from fighting dissolving, Russian troops continued to shell encircled cities and the number of Ukrainians forced from their country grew to over 1.4 million. (AP Photo/Diego Herrera Carcedo)

Ukrainian servicemen help an elderly woman, in the town of Irpin, Ukraine, Sunday, March 6, 2022. With the Kremlin’s rhetoric growing fiercer and a reprieve from fighting dissolving, Russian troops continued to shell encircled cities and the number of Ukrainians forced from their country grew to over 1.4 million. (AP Photo/Andriy Dubchak)

The dead body of a person killed by Russian shelling lays covered in the street in the town of Irpin, Ukraine, Sunday, March 6, 2022. With the Kremlin’s rhetoric growing fiercer and a reprieve from fighting dissolving, Russian troops continued to shell encircled cities and the number of Ukrainians forced from their country grew to over 1.4 million. (AP Photo/Diego Herrera Carcedo)

A Ukrainian soldier carries a baby helping a fleeing family to cross the Irpin river in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A man is supported after crossing the Irpin river on an improvised path under a bridge that was destroyed by a Russian airstrike, while fleeing the town of Irpin, Ukraine, Saturday, March 5, 2022. What looked like a breakthrough cease-fire to evacuate residents from two cities in Ukraine quickly fell apart Saturday as Ukrainian officials said shelling had halted the work to remove civilians hours after Russia announced the deal. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Two children fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine sit inside a bus at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Saturday, March 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Ukrainians crowd under a destroyed bridge as they try to flee crossing the Irpin river in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Ukrainian paramedics cover with the National flag the grave of their colleague Valentyna Pushych, killed by Russian troops, in a cemetery in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A woman cries after not being able to board an evacuation train that departed carrying women and children that fled fighting in Bucha and Irpin from Irpin City to Kyiv that was scheduled after heavy fighting overnight forced many to leave their homes on March 04, 2022 in Irpin, Ukraine. Russia continues its assault on Ukraine’s major cities, including the capital Kyiv, a week after launching a large-scale invasion of the country. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

ZAHONY, HUNGARY – MARCH 05: Refugees arrive at Zahony train station as the influx of people fleeing from Ukraine continues on March 05, 2022 in Zahony, Hungary. Over one million refugees from Ukraine have now fled into neighbouring countries such as Hungary, forming long queues at border crossings, after Russia began a large-scale attack on neighbouring Ukraine. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Oleg kisses his wife Yana goodbye through a train platform fence as she waits to board an evacuation train with their eleven month-old son Maksim after fleeing heavy overnight fighting in Bucha and Irpin on March 04, 2022 in Irpin, Ukraine. Russia continues their assault on Ukraine’s major cities, including the capital Kyiv, a week after launching a large-scale invasion of the country. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

A woman weeps after finding a friend, who also fled Ukraine, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Saturday, March 5, 2022. The Russian military initiated a temporary cease-fire in two areas of Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate, Russian state media reported Saturday, the first breakthrough in allowing people to escape the war. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

An old woman holds on to a walking stick as refugees, mostly women with children, arrive at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Saturday, March 5, 2022, after fleeing Russian invasion in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Refugees, mostly women with children, arrive at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Saturday, March 5, 2022, after fleeing Russian invasion in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Local residents fill bags with sand to construct a barricade in the area on March 4, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Russia continues assault on Ukraine’s major cities, including the capital Kyiv, a week after launching a large-scale invasion of the country. (Photo by Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images)

People walk the last few kilometres to the border with Poland on March 04, 2022 in Shehyni, Ukraine. More than a million people have fled Ukraine following Russia’s large-scale assault on the country, with hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians passing through Lviv on their way to Poland. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

A woman holds her daughter as they try to get on a train at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Friday, March 4. 2022. Ukrainian men have to stay to fight in the war while women and children are leaving the country to seek refuge in a neighboring country. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A woman carries a baby over the tracks trying to board a Lviv bound train, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office says a second round of talks with Russia aimed at stopping the fighting that has sent more than 1 million people fleeing over Ukraine’s borders, has begun in neighboring Belarus, but the two sides appeared to have little common ground. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A destroyed armored personnel carrier stands in the central square of the town of Makariv, 60 kilometres west of Kyiv, Ukraine, after a heavy night battle Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT – Teenager Artyom, 15, wounded by shelling, lies in a car waiting to be moved to a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have seized a strategic Ukrainian seaport and besieged another. Those moves are part of efforts to cut the country off from its coastline even as Moscow said Thursday it was ready for talks to end the fighting. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A woman fleeing from Ukraine is overcome by emotions at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Friday, March 4, 2022. More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine following Russia's invasion in the swiftest refugee exodus in this century, the United Nations said Thursday. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) — A woman fleeing from Ukraine is overcome by emotions at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Friday, March 4, 2022. More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in the swiftest refugee exodus in this century, the United Nations said Thursday. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Serhii, father of teenager Iliya, cries on his son's lifeless body lying on a stretcher at a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) — Serhii, father of teenager Iliya, cries on his son’s lifeless body lying on a stretcher at a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Zlata, 3 and half year-old, fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine with her face painted in the colours of the Ukrainian flag stands at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Thursday, March 3, 2022. The number of people sent fleeing Ukraine by Russia's invasion topped 1 million on Wednesday, the swiftest refugee exodus this century, the United Nations said, as Russian forces kept up their bombardment of the country's second-biggest city, Kharkiv, and laid siege to two strategic seaports. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) — Zlata, 3 and half year-old, fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine with her face painted in the colours of the Ukrainian flag stands at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Thursday, March 3, 2022. The number of people sent fleeing Ukraine by Russia’s invasion topped 1 million on Wednesday, the swiftest refugee exodus this century, the United Nations said, as Russian forces kept up their bombardment of the country’s second-biggest city, Kharkiv, and laid siege to two strategic seaports. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

A shoe covered in blood lies on the floor at an emergency surgery in a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have seized a strategic Ukrainian seaport and besieged another. Those moves are part of efforts to cut the country off from its coastline even as Moscow said Thursday it was ready for talks to end the fighting. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Displaced people queue to get on a train to Poland, inside Lviv railway station, in Lviv, western Ukraine, Thursday, March 3, 2022. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced more than a million people to flee their homeland in just a week. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A small boy, fleeing from Ukraine, waits with others to board a bus after crossing the border in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, Thursday, March 3, 2022. More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in the swiftest refugee exodus in this century, the United Nations said Thursday. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this image taken from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the nation in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Disabled children are escorted to waiting buses, in Zahony, Hungary, Wednesday, March 2, 2022, after being evacuated from two orphanages in Kyiv, Ukraine. Some of Ukraine’s most vulnerable citizens have reached safety in Poland through an effort of solidarity and compassion that transcended borders and raised a powerful counterpoint to war. (AP Photo/Justin Spike)

Members of the civil defense take positions as a vehicle approaches the checkpoint in Gorenka, outside the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russia renewed its assault on Ukraine’s second-largest city in a pounding that lit up the skyline with balls of fire over populated areas, even as both sides said they were ready to resume talks aimed at stopping the new devastating war in Europe. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A member of the civil defense mans a checkpoint in Gorenka, outside the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russia renewed its assault on Ukraine’s second-largest city in a pounding that lit up the skyline with balls of fire over populated areas, even as both sides said they were ready to resume talks aimed at stopping the new devastating war in Europe. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A Polish soldier carries a baby of a Ukrainian refugee upon their arrival at the border crossing in Medyka, southeastern Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Flames and smoke rise from a damaged gym following shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A woman, who did not want to be identified, poses for a photograph as she holds her newborn girl in the basement of a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward and used as a bomb shelter during air raid alerts, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

French teacher Pjotr Vyerko, 81, holds a rifle standing behind the broken window of a bedroom in his house which was damaged by the shock waves of a Russian airstrike in Gorenka, outside the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Vyerko said he’s prepared to use his rifle to shoot invaders because he has a daughter and grandson. “If they come here, I’ll jab them with a pitchfork if I don’t have weapons — but I do have weapons,” he said. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

People gather in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

People disembark from a train originating in Ukraine as it arrives on the platform at the station in Przemysl, Poland, Thursday, March 3, 2022. More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in the swiftest refugee exodus in this century, the United Nations said Thursday. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Ambulance paramedics move a wounded in shelling civilian onto a stretcher to a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have seized a strategic Ukrainian seaport and besieged another. Those moves are part of efforts to cut the country off from its coastline even as Moscow said Thursday it was ready for talks to end the fighting. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Displaced Ukrainians take shelter in an auditorium in Lviv, western Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Russian forces have escalated their attacks on crowded urban areas in what Ukraine’s leader called a blatant campaign of terror. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Ukrainian Pavlo Bilodid, 33, kisses his wife and daughter goodbye as they prepare to board a bus to Poland at Lviv bus main station, western Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Russian shelling pounded civilian targets in Ukraine's second-largest city Tuesday and a 40-mile convoy of tanks and other vehicles threatened the capital — tactics Ukraine’s embattled president said were designed to force him into concessions in Europe’s largest ground war in generations. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) — Ukrainian Pavlo Bilodid, 33, kisses his wife and daughter goodbye as they prepare to board a bus to Poland at Lviv bus main station, western Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Russian shelling pounded civilian targets in Ukraine’s second-largest city Tuesday and a 40-mile convoy of tanks and other vehicles threatened the capital — tactics Ukraine’s embattled president said were designed to force him into concessions in Europe’s largest ground war in generations. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

ADDS THAT THE PERSONNEL CARRIER IS RUSSIAN - A Russian armored personnel carrier burns amid damaged and abandoned light utility vehicles after fighting in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. The city authorities said that Ukrainian forces engaged in fighting with Russian troops that entered the country's second-largest city on Sunday. (AP Photo/Marienko Andrew) — A Russian armored personnel carrier burns amid damaged and abandoned light utility vehicles after fighting in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. The city authorities said that Ukrainian forces engaged in fighting with Russian troops that entered the country’s second-largest city on Sunday. (AP Photo/Marienko Andrew)

A Polish border guard carries a child as refugees from Ukraine cross into Poland at the Medyka crossing, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Ambassadors from dozens of countries on Monday backed a proposal demanding that Russia halt its attack on Ukraine, as the U.N. General Assembly held a rare emergency session during a day of frenzied and sometimes fractious diplomacy surrounding the five-day-old war. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Newborn twin brothers sleep in a basement used as a bomb shelter at the Okhmadet children's hospital in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) — Newborn twin brothers sleep in a basement used as a bomb shelter at the Okhmadet children’s hospital in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - A morgue worker looks at the body of killed volunteer of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces at a hospital in Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Russian shelling pounded civilian targets in Ukraine's second-largest city again Tuesday and a 40-mile convoy of tanks and other vehicles threatened the capital — tactics Ukraine’s embattled president said were designed to force him into concessions in Europe’s largest ground war in generations. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) — EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT – A morgue worker looks at the body of killed volunteer of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces at a hospital in Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Russian shelling pounded civilian targets in Ukraine’s second-largest city again Tuesday and a 40-mile convoy of tanks and other vehicles threatened the capital — tactics Ukraine’s embattled president said were designed to force him into concessions in Europe’s largest ground war in generations. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Kateryna Suharokova holds her newborn son Makar in the basement of a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward and used as a bomb shelter in Mariupol, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. In makeshift shelters and underground railway platforms across Ukraine, families trying to protect the young and old and make conditions bearable amid the bullets, missiles and shells outside. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

This handout photo released by Ukrainian Emergency Service shows emergency service personnel inspecting the damage inside the City Hall building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Russian shelling pounded civilian targets in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, Tuesday and a 40-mile convoy of tanks and other vehicles threatened the capital — tactics Ukraine's embattled president said were designed to force him into concessions in Europe's largest ground war in generations. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) — This handout photo released by Ukrainian Emergency Service shows emergency service personnel inspecting the damage inside the City Hall building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Russian shelling pounded civilian targets in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, Tuesday and a 40-mile convoy of tanks and other vehicles threatened the capital — tactics Ukraine’s embattled president said were designed to force him into concessions in Europe’s largest ground war in generations. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

A child cries as people rush around after a last minute change of the departure platform for a Lviv bound train in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. Explosions and gunfire that have disrupted life since the invasion began last week appeared to subside around Kyiv overnight, as Ukrainian and Russian delegations met Monday on Ukraine’s border with Belarus. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

An elderly woman and her pet wait for a train inside Lviv railway station, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in Lviv, west Ukraine. Russia’s military assault on Ukraine has entered its fifth day, forcing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and foreign residents to escape from war and seek refuge in neighboring countries. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A pregnant woman and children sit on a bench in the improvised bomb shelter in a sports center, which can accommodate up to 2000 people, in Mariupol, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. Explosions and gunfire that have disrupted life since the invasion began last week appeared to subside around Kyiv overnight, as Ukrainian and Russian delegations prepared to meet Monday, Feb. 28, 2022 on Ukraine’s border with Belarus. It’s unclear what, if anything, those talks would yield. Terrified Ukrainian families huddled in shelters, basements or corridors, waiting to find out. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian volunteers knot cloth strips to make camouflage nets in Lviv, western Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. The Russian military assault on Ukraine went into its fifth day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his nuclear forces put on increased alert, ratcheting up tensions yet further. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

An armored vehicle rolls outside Mykolaivka, Donetsk region, the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants, in eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. Fighting also raged in two eastern territories controlled by pro-Russia separatists. (AP Photo)

View of the sunset through windows that have been sealed to avoid the bursting of glass from possible shockwaves in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A Ukrainian firefighter walks between at fragments of a downed aircraft seen in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. It was unclear what aicraft crashed and what brought it down amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine Russia is pressing its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital after unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides. (AP Photo/Oleksandr Ratushniak)

A woman hugs another women upon her arrival at the border crossing in Medyka, southeastern Poland, from neighboring Ukraine on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Russia pressed its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital Friday after unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides in an attack that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Pro-Ukraine people hold banners as they shout slogans during a protest outside the Russian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, after Russian troops have launched an invasion on Ukraine. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A demonstrator holds a placard as she attends a protest outside Downing Street, in London, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending troops and tanks from multiple directions in a move that could rewrite the world’s geopolitical landscape. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Natali Sevriukova reacts next to her house following a rocket attack the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Ukrainian soldiers take positions in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Russia pressed its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital Friday after unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides in an attack that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Ukrainian soldiers take position on a bridge inside the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Russia pressed its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital Friday after unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides in an attack that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

In this handout photo taken from video released by Ukrainian Police Department Press Service released on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, firefighters inspect the damage at a building following a rocket attack on the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Russia is pressing its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital. That comes a day after it unleashed airstrikes on cities and military bases and sent in troops and tanks from three sides. (Ukrainian Police Department Press Service via AP)

A Ukrainian Army soldier inspects fragments of a downed aircraft in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. It was unclear what aircraft crashed and what brought it down amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Russia is pressing its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital after unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides. (AP Photo/Vadim Zamirovsky)

People fleeing the conflict from neighboring Ukraine arrive to Przemysl train station in Przemysl, Poland, on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A child pauses after crossing the border from Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing from war by crossing their borders to the west in search of safety. They left their country as Russia pounded their capital and other cities with airstrikes for a second day on Friday. Cars were backed up for several kilometers (miles) at some border crossings as authorities in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova mobilized to receive them, offering them shelter, food and legal help. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre)

A woman holds a baby after crossing the border from Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing from war by crossing their borders to the west in search of safety. They left their country as Russia pounded their capital and other cities with airstrikes for a second day on Friday. Cars were backed up for several kilometers (miles) at some border crossings as authorities in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova mobilized to receive them, offering them shelter, food and legal help. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Smoke rise from an air defense base in the aftermath of an apparent Russian strike in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People gather in a shelter during Russian shelling, in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling, as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A woman reacts as she waits for a train trying to leave Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A woman with her daughter waits for a train as they try to leave Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A woman holds her baby as she gets on a bus leaving Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling, as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People rest in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending troops and tanks from multiple directions in a move that could rewrite the world’s geopolitical landscape. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People lie in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending troops and tanks from multiple directions in a move that could rewrite the world’s geopolitical landscape. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Ukrainian soldiers stand guard as people try to leave at the Kyiv train station, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A woman walks past the debris in the aftermath of Russian shelling, in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russia has launched a barrage of air and missile strikes on Ukraine early Thursday and Ukrainian officials said that Russian troops have rolled into the country from the north, east and south. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A woman and child peer out of the window of a bus as they leave Sievierodonetsk, the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences you have never seen.” (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Flame and smoke rise from the debris of a privet house in the aftermath of Russian shelling outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russia on Thursday unleashed a barrage of air and missile strikes on Ukrainian facilities across the country. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A man stands next to the consequences of Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Damaged radar arrays and other equipment is seen at Ukrainian military facility outside Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russia has launched a barrage of air and missile strikes on Ukraine early Thursday and Ukrainian officials said that Russian troops have rolled into the country from the north, east and south. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

The Azovstal metallurgical plant is seen on the outskirts of the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022. Russia began evacuating its embassy in Kyiv, and Ukraine urged its citizens to leave Russia. Those moves come as the region braced for further confrontation Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin received authorization to use military force outside his country. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Traffic jams are seen as people leave the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences you have never seen.” (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Ukrainian soldiers ride in a military vehicle in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions, warning other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen.” (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Workers load the debris of a rocket onto a truck the aftermath of Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A woman takes a photo of the consequences of Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

People walk past the aftermath of Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A Ukrainian soldier stands next to a military vehicle on a road in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday. President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen.” (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Police investigate the consequences of Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

People walk in a subway to get a train as they leave the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences you have never seen.” (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Vehicles line up to a gasoline station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

This photo shows a view of the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences you have never seen.” (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Smoke and flame rise near a military building after an apparent Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

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Wasylyk said the big question about the U.S. from the Ukrainians he knows is, “Why are the Western sanctions not so significant?”

He added, “The first round of sanctions was viewed here on the ground as not being very resolute. And people wanted to see more.” His suggestion: “Sanctioning the Central Bank of Russia, which is really sort of where they’re financing their war chest, if you will — if those sanctions were to even be raised, I think it would really cause them to de-escalate in a significant way.”

Wasylyk’s children, being very different ages, are taking it in different ways.

“Our 13-year-old understands perfectly what’s going on. And she’s following the events on social media, the news. Our 3-year-old is not focused on what’s going on here. They’ve been on spring break this week, so there’s no school. But I think, for a lot of kids, it’s quite traumatic.”

That said, “I think Ukrainians are very grateful to the Biden administration for their support and for the president’s leadership in calling out [Russian President Vladimir] Putin on this whole war game that he’s planned and is executing,” Wasylyk added.

He said the U.S. needs to stand firm on sanctions and raise the costs for Putin himself.

“Because as I said before, there can be no winners in this war. And, unfortunately, Putin believes that he can win, which is just not possible. So the message to Washington is keep up the pressure — keep the allies together. I think that the Ukrainians are ready to fight the fight, but they need backup.”

WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.

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Sanctions

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