‘Nobody is safe’: Ukrainian-Americans in St. Pete pray for family members following Russian invasion

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Several hundred Ukrainian-Americans gathered in St. Pete Thursday night to decry the beginning of a war in their native country and pray their family members would survive.

"(There were) missiles strike Kyiv all last night," said Nataliia Artemov. "(They) could see it from (their) windows."

Artemova helped pack Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church to ask God why, and beg for it to end before too many die.

"We didn't sleep all night," shared Artemov. "I was staying in touch with them all night. They didn't know what to do because they have small kids and there were explosions all night."

Her family is riding it out in Kyiv.

Yuliya Bryant's brother is a Ukrainian soldier.

"He was on front lines and he saw disaster, and he saw people being blown in pieces," she said.

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Those praying for their native country tonight blame Vladimir Putin for choosing violence in his attempt to restore what he considers Russian glory.

Viktoriia Hatfield's family lives near the border with Russia. She says they've packed up the car and headed west.

"What I am most afraid of is to lose my family. As long as we have Russian troops in my country, nobody is safe."

With bombings across almost every region of their homeland, prayer and luck are all they have.

"We are terrified of what is happening," stated Olya Czerkas. "We don't know from moment to moment who has been affected by it, physically even."