Minneapolis Volunteers Headed To Poland With 15 Bags Of Supplies For Ukrainian Refugees
They're bringing 15 bags of high-demand supplies to the Ukrainian-Poland border to help with the growing refugee crisis.
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They're bringing 15 bags of high-demand supplies to the Ukrainian-Poland border to help with the growing refugee crisis.
A Minnesota father is heading to Poland to help families fleeing Ukraine. Brady Atherton served in the National Guard and says he felt called to go.
A Ukrainian ballet teacher has been making a name for herself in the Twin Cities for the last two decades. Julia Levina has been the artistic director La Danse Fatale pre-professional ballet company, part of the Dance Arts Centre studio in Chanhassen.
"We're seeing women and children and elderly people crossing the border over with just a bag to their name," said Mary Ostapenko Anstett.
"We can't allow a single cent of our state to line the pockets of oligarchs and despots who sanction the murder of innocent citizens," said Rep. Sydney Jordan, DFL-Minneapolis.
Although he has no previous military training or knowledge of the local language, a Twin Cities man has traveled to Europe to fight for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
One of Minnesota's largest employers has suspended business operations in Russia amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.
AAA says the nationwide average topped $4.06 Monday. That's a 45-cent jump in a week and the highest in nearly 14 years.
"My biggest concern is they're there by themselves, two people in their 80s, and they don't have anyone to come and get them," Lena Bly said.
More than a thousand people gathered outside the State Capitol in St. Paul for a rally Sunday afternoon, including Gov. Tim Walz, who declared Sunday "Ukrainian Solidarity Day" in Minnesota.
WCCO spoke with a Plymouth man who survived the war in Bosnia to lend some perspective on what Ukrainians are going through.
"Every and each one of our cast and crew member has someone very important to them in Ukraine right now."
Minnesota farmers are getting ready for spring planting and most hope to be in the field by mid-April. But some farmers could be planting a different crop this year.
Gov. Tim Walz on Friday announced he's directing state agencies to terminate any contracts with Russian entities as the country invades Ukraine.
Mariana Pykivska, 34, has been working on a Waverly farm six months a year for more than a decade. Her family is in a small town in central Ukraine.
"We are mobilizing the whole Christian world here to not stay and just pray, but to do actually do something," Valera Ryabokonenko said.
Iryna Wester proudly remembers growing up in Ukraine, which she still calls her home. She's lived in Pequot Lakes for the last 15 years, but the rest of her family -- including her mom, dad, and brother -- are in Kyiv.
Joe Whitcomb knows about trauma. The psychotherapist, who was in the military, now lives and works in Ukraine to help trauma victims.
"I was so appalled at what's happening with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I thought 'What can I do?'" Dan Keyport said.
As Russia wages war on Ukraine, Russians living in Minnesota are struggling.
Twin Cities Ukrainians are coming together through faith and tradition. A group gathered this weekend at St. Michael's and St. George's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Minneapolis to take part in an Easter tradition.
Throughout downtown, several buildings -- like Target Field, U.S. Bank Stadium, the Capella Tower, Target Building and more -- shined yellow and blue Friday night.
A new plan at the Capitol would suspend the state's 28.5 cent gas tax between Memorial and Labor Day.
Watching a war unfold through a screen is a surreal experience in 2022. It's especially tough when you have family trapped there and waiting.
As Russian troops surround the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, people around the world are watching with interest and concern. Among them is a professor at St. John's University who spent time in Russia and the former Soviet Union.
