Ukrainian-born journalist Oliya "Scootercaster" returns to home country to document Russian invasion
NEW YORK -- The war in Ukraine is personal for one New York City journalist who just returned from Kyiv.
As CBS2's Jessica Moore reports, this journalist had covered every imaginable scenario, except a war in her home country. That all changed when she flew to Kyiv and started documenting the Russian invasion.
Russian forces targeted a boarding school for blind children and bombed more hospitals across Ukraine as Russia's brutal assault on civilians continues.
President Zelenskyy visited some of the victims of Russia's latest attacks inside a hospital in Kyiv, where a young girl cried in disbelief as he handed her flowers.
Stunning video shows the savagery of war. Russian forces hit dense city centers, adding to the constantly rising number of Ukrainian casualties.
The State Department now confirms an American citizen was killed in a civilian attack on the city of Chernihiv.
Meanwhile, a line of cars stretched for miles outside Mariupol as desperate Ukrainians tried to escape, joining the 3.1 million who already have.
Ukrainian-born freelance journalist Oliya, known as "Scootercaster" online, found herself in a similar refugee caravan just a couple of weeks ago, documenting the harrowing journey to safety.
"People were terrified. They were confused," Scootercaster said.
Oliya left her home in Queens and flew to her hometown of Kyiv just before the invasion.
"It's the country that I'm from. It felt like, I have to be there, I should be there and I should report about it," she said.
Her grandparents are still there, hiding inside a makeshift bomb shelter.
"How devastating was that for you, to see the fighting happening in the place you were born?" Moore asked.
"It's heartbreaking to see your hometown destroyed," Oliya said.
She spent weeks documenting the atrocities of war on the streets where she used to play and says she plans to return to Ukraine soon, despite the ever-increasing threat.
"What motivates you to want to go back right now?" Moore asked.
"I keep feeling like I haven't told the full story yet," Oliya said. "I don't even know how to describe the emotion. It was extremely hard to see what was happening to my hometown. It's like, you know, your heart just gets ripped out. Yeah. And all I can do is just keep telling everybody's story."
Oliya says she checks in with her grandparents every day and has urged them to leave the country, but they are committed to staying in their home.
She also said nearly all of the refugees she interviewed are determined to return to Ukraine, no matter how long it takes.