Dancing with the Stars alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy has announced that he safely escaped Ukraine after Russia's invasion, although he's currently feeling traumatized and guilty.

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After enduring a 23-hour train ride from Ukraine, Maksim, 42, wrote Tuesday, March 1 on his Instagram Stories, "I'm in Poland," along with emojis of the Ukrainian flag, the Polish flag and praying hands.

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The pro dancer and choreographer also confirmed in a lengthy Tuesday Instagram post that he finally arrived safely in Poland after fleeing Ukraine and having a "traumatizing" experience -- including 36 hours without sleep -- trying to escape the Russian invasion.

Maksim, who is Ukrainian-American, captioned his near 26-minute Instagram video, "I'm in Warsaw. I'm in hotel. I'm not ok."

"The war is just heating up... It's going to get worse," Maksim said in the video, explaining how he had taped footage of a rocket killing a man, woman and their two kids in Ukraine among other graphic and horrible videos.

Maksim said, "It's so traumatic and it's so crazy. It's not right... I'm scared, I'm confused, I'm terrified and I just lived through some sh-t that I'm going to need a lot of therapy for. But I know this -- it's us little guys against the big guy."

"I don't care how big he is, I don't care how mean he is. When we're together, I can see what can happen. We can have the little guy finally win and it will be a joint effort."

Maksim said it felt "wrong" leaving his fellow Ukrainians behind and he "still feels guilty" about getting out of that turmoil alive, especially when so many other innocent civilians, children included, are suffering and/or wounded.

Maksim recalled being "freezing" for 12 hours on the train and not wanting to "take up space" from a woman and her children.

"In 94, I was put up for adoption, and I got adopted by a beautiful, young, vibrant, exciting forward-thinking country, and I fell in love. And I left Ukraine in 94 a sad person because I felt like I was being unrooted," Maksim shared.

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Maksim said while he grew to love the United States, especially when he became a cast member of Dancing with the Stars, he still carried a banner for Ukraine and will always defend the country.

"I'm having a really f-cking hard time leaving. I'm having a horrible time," Maksim lamented. "I'm having very mixed emotions. I have friends there, my friends are in the front line."

Maksim was in his native country on Thursday, February 24 when Russia President Vladimir Putin publicly announced a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine, which resulted in missiles striking locations across the country, including its capital city Kyiv, and Russian forces invading.

Maksim, who had been in Ukraine serving as a judge for a new Ukrainian edition of World of Dance, was staying at a hotel in Kyiv when the Russian invasion began.

Maksim began documenting his experience trying to escape Ukraine in a Friday, February 25 video on Instagram. While he said he was "safe" in Kyiv, Maksim noted the situation was "dire" and he was waiting for instructions on what to do or where to go next.

On Monday, Maksim shared on Instagram Stories how he had been arrested in Ukraine, briefly, and then managed to grab a seat on a train that was "hopefully" heading to Warsaw, Poland, according to Us Weekly.

"Train to Lviv was not an option. The situation at the train station is insane," Maksim shared in a series of videos.

"At first it feels manageable but gets A LOT worse when it comes time to actually board the train. Long story, but all I can say now is that I'm a big man with nothing but a backpack... currently I'm in a cabin with four adults and seven kids (ages 2-11) which usually is only occupied by a maximum of three people."

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He added, "There's usually up to 30 people in this particular wagon. We were told we have to fit 135. Walkways are packed. People everywhere. It's sweaty and claustrophobic."

Maksim went on to recall his breaking point during his journey, when an eight-year-old boy started "hysterically crying" on the train and didn't want to let go of his father.

The train also apparently "stopped to change wheels" before arriving at the Polish border.

"There's five cars, about 130 some people each. There's one cart that's all sicker kids and people so it's not as packed, but all the others are packed," Maksim revealed.

Maksim's wife Peta Murgatroyd, 35, who is the mother of his five-year-old son Shai, reposted Maksim's train update on Monday and wrote on Instagram, "@maksimc YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!! Get back home! I am so f-cking proud of you for helping those kids on board!"

Peta has seemed extremely worried about her husband ever since Russia began its attacks last week.

Peta, who married Maksim in 2017, had initially asked fans to pray for Maksim while he was still stuck in Ukraine.

"My pain is overwhelming and I'm struggling, but you sending your positive light and love to him would be the world to me," Peta wrote Thursday on Instagram.

"Truly, I wish for nothing more... Please pray that he has a swift, safe exit. I have FAITH. I have HOPE and I have PRAYED so hard. Please pray for Ukraine and the innocent civilians who's lives are being greatly uprooted."

As of Wednesday, March 2, more than 870,000 refugees have fled Ukraine during Russia's invasion, according to CNN, and the U.N. estimates this number could grow to five million.

Ukraine's State Emergency Service also said there have been more than 2,000 civilian deaths thus far, although there have been conflicting accounts about the death toll in Ukraine.

The U.N. human rights office has tallied 136 civilian deaths, with the toll likely being "much higher," CNN reported.

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Russia has ramped up assaults on key Ukrainian cities this week, including the country's second-largest city, Kharkiv.

Maksim won Dancing with the Stars' 18th season with Meryl Davis and last competed on the show as a pro dancer on Season 25, but he has also served as a guest judge over the years.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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