After fleeing war in Ukraine, family is reunited in Montreal

More than 3 million people have been forced to leave Ukraine to safety since Russian troops invaded a month ago, and some have begun arriving in Montreal.

More than 3 million people have been forced to leave Ukraine to safety since Russian troops invaded a month ago, and some have begun arriving in Montreal.

They include Anastasia Zavgorodnia’s mother Nina Zavgorodnia who, exactly a month ago, fled her homes in the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, as bombs began falling on Feb. 24.

“She (and my mother-in-law) were hiding for the first eight days and after that they were able to leave Kharviv,” she told Global News while waiting for their arrival at Trudeau airport in Dorval.

She said the two women then drove for another eight days to get to the Polish border and it took another two weeks for them to arrive here at Trudeau airport Thursday afternoon, from Germany.

“I’m glad to see my daughter and I’m glad to see my family, my grandsons, granddaughter,” she said smiling.

She said of the month-long trip, the 16 days of hiding and driving as bombs fell were the hardest as she wasn’t even sure she’d survive.

“Maybe I wouldn’t see my family,” she pointed out.

So far, more than 3.5 million people have fled the war in Ukraine and the Zavgorodnia family are among the first to arrive in the city.