Since Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine of February 24, many people have used their platforms to express their horror.
From Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s harrowing journey to safety to the 90 Day Fiance stars with family in Ukraine, many people have personal ties to the war.
Actor Hayden Panettiere’s former fiance, Wladimir Klitschko, lives in Ukraine.
While she confirms that their daughter is safe and not in the war zone, Wladimir and his brother are vowing to fight the invaders.
“I have personally witnessed the strength of the Ukrainian people,” Hayden wrote just a short time after Russian forces began their attack.
She praised the people of Ukraine “who fought so hard for their independence and have continued to passionately defend their country over the years.”
“What Putin is doing is an absolute disgrace!” Hayden said accurately.
“This horrific moment in history sends a terrifying message,” Hayden lamented.
The decried “the message that in this day and age, in year 2022, it’s okay to violate the rights of free people and allow autocrats like Putin to take whatever they please.”
Hayden announced: “I’m praying for my family and friends there and everyone who’s fighting.”
“I wish you had more support,” Hayden expressed, “and I wish I was there fighting with you!”
She wrote: “For now, I ask for those of us who can’t be there to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and show your support for #democracy.”
Hayden concluded her caption by tagging her ex and his brother: “Continue to look for updates from @klitschko and @vitaliyklitschko”
Naturally, a commenter asked Hayden to confirm that her young daughter is not in Ukraine with his father.
Is she stateside? Is she safe?
“She’s safe and not in Ukraine,” Hayden wrote, adding a thumbs up emoji.
Hayden began to date Wladimir Klitschko in 2009, when he was the world heavyweight boxing champion.
The two split in 2011, reconciled in 2013, and became engaged.
Their pattern of on-again, off-again romance continued. They broke off their engagement and split for good in 2018.
That was four years after the couple had welcomed their daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, in 2014.
Kaya lives with her father, Wladimir, in Ukraine, making co-parenting a challenge at times.
It is a relief to know that she is safe, and it is more than reasonable that Hayden did not provide excessive detail on the wherabouts of Kaya during this crisis.
Wladimir’s brother, Vitali, is a fellow boxing legend.
The Ukrainian champs have announced that they are “ready to die” to defend their homelands against the onslaught of Russian forces.
They have praised the patriotism, courage, and heroism of the Ukrainian people as an entire nation mobilizes to resist a vicious aggressor.
