ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) – Two Ukrainian refugees landed in St. Louis Sunday searching for medical care and security from the conflict with Russia.

Ukraine native Anna Krukova, alongside along with her daughter, Victoria, landed at Lambert International Airport on medical visas. Victoria, 5, has cerebral palsy. Her household fled Nova Kakhovka, which is about 3.5 hours from Crimea. The two, together with Victoria’s father, went to Poland.

Anna and Victoria got here in touch with Ukrainian-born St. Louis residents Luda Chernyak and Isabella Gipkhin via social media and phrase of mouth. The group organized for Anna and Victoria to reside with Gipkhin, who has fostered a dozen Ukrainian households since coming to St. Louis in 1989.

“They have nowhere to go back to because their home has been bombed,” Chernyak informed News 4. “There are hundreds and hundreds and thousands of people like Anna and Victoria sitting in places like Poland and Moldova and Romania and Bulgaria–Germany–that really need to find a permanent home, they’re displaced. I personally came here as a refugee as a child from the former Soviet Union. It’s a very difficult situation to be in, especially, as a child.”

Victoria will get surgical procedure and care at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Gipkhin informed News 4 appointments are already scheduled for Victoria.

The group will now work to get Victoria’s father and different relations to the U.S.

Local Ukrainian Facebook teams embrace Ukrainians in Missouri/Українці в Міссурі/Help refugees in St. Louis!

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