Dancing With the Stars winner Olena Shoptenko saw a drone shot down on her return to Kyiv
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Shoptenko has now returned to Vienna to be with her son.
Her return to the Ukrainian capital coincided with the ongoing missile attacks by the Russian invasion forces. She witnessed first hand a Russian drone being shot down and she shared details of her experience in Kyiv on Instagram on June 4.
“It has been over a week since I returned to Vienna from Kyiv, and I find it difficult to put into words my impressions of visiting my hometown after a year. It was quite challenging for me, as I had numerous thoughts and emotions,” Shoptenko wrote.
“Living abroad with my son, experiencing two different realities since the start of the war, my mind was exhausted.”
“Perhaps that’s why, upon arriving in Ukraine, I found myself in a state of silent shock for the first few days and struggled to communicate with anyone. I simply wandered the streets of Kyiv extensively, breathing in the familiar air.”
“Right after my arrival, the missile attacks began, which hadn’t occurred for a long time and are still ongoing. It caused concern – but surprisingly, not fear and panic. Like witnessing a drone being shot down in the city center before my eyes. For a long time, I couldn’t understand what was wrong with me. Only recently did I find the answer to that question. The people had an enormous impact on my state. The individuals I encountered in Kyiv, as well as Ukrainians in general, whom I came across everywhere on the streets.”
“I felt warmth, politeness, determination, support, a palpable inner strength, and a desire for life and progress, despite everything. This indomitable spirit, present in everyone I met, instilled in me a sense of tranquillity and safety in a country that is still dangerous. It was truly fascinating,” the dancer wrote.
Shoptenko responded to a question about her thoughts on Vlad Yama, the Ukrainian dancer and one of three judges on Ukraine’s Got Talent and Dancing with the Stars shows, who left Ukraine for the United States with his son and wife early in the full-scale war.
“Everyone makes their own choices. Honestly, I don’t dwell on it,” the choreographer wrote.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
