CALIFORNIA, USA — When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine a few weeks ago, Anastasia Maynich's world turned upside down knowing her cousin Tetiana and her cousin's 11-year-old daughter Sofia was in the middle of a war zone in Odessa, Ukraine.
"I rushed into my boss's office and I told him the situation, and they're like 'Yes, go. If you need to go help your family, you have our full support,'" said Maynich, a soldier with the California National Guard.
Maynich sprang into action and booked a flight to Romania the next day.
"Poland right now, their waiting lines on the border were extremely long so I was like, 'Just meet me in Romania,'" Maynich said.
Tetiana worked at the airport in Odessa as a police officer. While at work, she heard several loud explosions as bombs and missiles erupted nearby. In a Zoom interview with ABC 10, Maynich translated for Tetiana.
"When the explosions happened, I made a decision, swift decision to take my child and run," said Tetiana. "It's extremely frightful to run with a child and all you have to rely on is your own strength and God."
The chaos and terror are embedded in Tetiana's memory as she reflects on the journey of escape and survival with her daughter. She was only able to grab a few items and had to leave relatives and life as she knew it behind before making a perilous journey to Moldova.
"When they were heading towards the border, they were getting shot at a few times. The car in front of her and the car behind her got hit," said Maynich.
Tetiana says her 11-year-old daughter Sofia ducked for cover for several hours as gunfire continued to erupt.
"My child was hidden in the back seat on the floor for about four hours," she said.
Thankfully, they were unharmed and were able to cross the border into Moldova before making a four-day journey to an airport in Bucharest, Romania where Maynich was patiently waiting to embrace Tetiana and Sofia for the first time in five years.
"I can't explain it. You just get overwhelmed with so many emotions," said Maynich.
The trio is now safe and sound in Germany. Maynich has to return to the Bay Area for work but says she'll return to Germany soon.
"I will be back for them. I will be back so we can cross the border and we can be reunited as a family in my own house," said Maynich.
Tetiana has applied to come to the United States. A GoFundMe has been set up to assist her and Sofia with immigration fees.
