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Maksim Chmerkovskiy has returned to Europe to help those in need amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Dancing with the Stars pro went live on Instagram on Sunday from the Polish capital of Warsaw, telling his followers he’s “doing well” and “enjoying some of the weather in Los Angeles” after he was born earlier this year month had returned home from Ukraine.
“Saw my family, saw my friends, obviously spent some time [with them]’ said the 42-year-old. “And we worked. We’ve been working on concrete ways to help.”
Chmerkovskiy drew attention to Baranova27, a non-profit humanitarian aid organization in Ukraine. It was named after the address where Chmerkovskiy, as well as his brother Val and their father, were born in Odessa, Ukraine.
MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY ON DEPARTING UKRAINE: “I FEEL GUILTY”
Maksim Chmerkovskiy confirmed that he was in Warsaw on Sunday. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Since GoFundMe launched on March 10, it has raised over $141,000. All proceeds “will be used for our efforts to help Ukraine,” it said.
Chmerkovskiy shared that the ongoing conflict “didn’t end or slow down – it got worse in Ukraine”.
“I want everyone to understand what that means because everything that happened happened quickly,” he explained. “It was traumatic and it was global and everything. But right now it’s getting worse. The humanitarian crisis is getting worse. People are hurting worse, there are more injured and more affected.”
Chmerkovskiy also addressed how Poland is being affected by the devastating situation.
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Emotional reunion between Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd at LAX airport as the “DWTS” pro returned to LA from Ukraine on March 2, 2022. (Fox News Digital)
“These cities are running out of space,” he said. “It’s a real problem. A few cities have already announced that they will no longer be able to take in refugees. At the moment, where I am in Warsaw, right in the city centre, everything is Ukrainian. Everyone is a refugee.”
A spokesperson for Chmerkovskiy confirmed to Fox News Digital that the star is based in Poland.
Earlier this month, a source close to Chmerkovskiy revealed to Fox News Digital that the star is planning a return to Europe and “is working to support efforts to support refugees along the border.”
Chmerkovskiy has admitted that he has “survival regrets”.
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Maksim Chmerkovskiy admitted he had “remorse as a survivor” since leaving Ukraine. (Maksim Chmerkovskiy/GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images)
“I’ve spent the last few days with a survivor’s regret and am currently working on an opportunity to go back,” he said during an interview with CNN. “I will likely return to Poland sometime next week and join the local effort.
During his interview, Chmerkovskiy spoke about the war between Russia and Ukraine and his experiences in the war-torn country days before he left.
“It wasn’t really a decision to leave. It was more like being told I had to go,” he explained. “The Ukrainian people have generally been waiting for this conflict. They were prepared. It’s been eight years, and that’s been the whole general feeling since I started [working] in Ukraine last September.”
Chmerkovskiy further shared that he “consulted some television shows and dance-related projects”.
MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY, WHO PLANS TO RETURN TO EUROPE, SAYS HE HAS SURVIVOR’S REGRETS FOR LEAVING UKRAINE
Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd welcomed their first child in 2017. (Rodin Eckenroth)
“The whole time I had the feeling that something was going to happen,” he recalls. “All the time I was told, ‘If something happens, we’ll get you out. You will be the first to leave the country.’”
“When everything happened, it happened suddenly,” he added. “And that morning — I was literally driving to film and at 5 a.m. — someone bombed my phone and said, ‘You have to go now.'”
Chmerkovskiy explained that as he boarded a train to Poland, he “fought that inner feeling”.
“I felt really bad, and the feeling got worse because when I got to the train station, I realized it was just women and children,” Chmerkovskiy said. “I’m too tall and take up space, so I stood between the trains. I literally pulled out of where all humans would have been and this is the footage that was shown.”
PETA MURGATROYD CRYING OVER CHILD DEATHS IN UKRAINE
A source previously told Fox News Digital that Maksim Chmerkovskiy wanted to help those in need. (Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
“Internally, I justified my spot because I was out,” he continued. “It wasn’t a situation worth living because it was too freezing cold, so I walked around that room, came in, thawed and then went back outside, so I helped a lot with her needs and bags and all that stuff. Just to understand that I’m not just taking up space.”
Chmerkovskiy has United States citizenship. The professional ballroom dancer admitted he has mental issues.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attack as a “special military mission”. The invasion has sparked global condemnation. Hundreds have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. Millions have fled or attempted to flee the country.
Fox News’ Janelle Ash, Julius Young and The Associated Press contributed to this report.