WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — As the war in Ukraine continues, the southern port city of Mariupol has seen some of the worst destruction so far.
"I stare at a picture of a building that has been air bombed and I take a couple minutes to understand which building it is and then I realized it is the one I was passing on my way to the grocery store every day," said Alina Beskrovna.
Alina Beskrovna was living in her hometown of Mariupol when Russians invaded her country. The 31-year-old graduated from Williamsport Area High School in 2006 as a foreign exchange student. She went on to graduate from Lehigh University before returning to Ukraine. Beskrovna sat down for a Zoom interview with Newswatch 16 to tell her first hand experience of the war in Ukraine.
"You can't really understand what risks you are taking when you are deciding to go fetch water or go cook soup because you don't know if you will come back alive."
Beskrovna was living in a basement shelter for weeks with other Ukrainians hoping to escape death. She showed Newswatch 16 the remains of a Russian missile.
"They started shelling right in our residential area. It was a bunch of cottages. It hit multiple cottages alongside the road. One of them landed right next to our cottage and that is the piece I was showing you."
Beskrovna and her mother are now in Denmark. While fleeing Ukraine they had to pass through 16 Russian checkpoints. Each time she came face-to-face with Russian Troops.
"Treating you like a guest on their land, an unwelcomed and suspicious guest. Talking down to you and making fun of you. They made it very clear that if they find any type of markings that signify you are sympathetic to Ukraine, you will have problems and possibly lose your life."
Most of Mariupol is occupied by Russian soldiers. She has not heard from her father since two days after the war began.
"Once the Russians bombed the antennas and we lost all cell phone service, it was impossible to reach him. I don't even know if he is alive."
Beskrovna hopes to be able to return to her city and help rebuild it. However, she doesn't know if or when that will happen.
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