SEATTLE — At European Foods in North Seattle, the store owner can't stop thinking about West Ukraine.
"All the kids are scared," said Oksana Lozynska.
Lozynska's mother, brothers and nephews live in Western Ukraine, and it is a place she and her son, Grygoriy Lozynskyy, used to live too. That's why the news about Russia invading Ukraine has hit them so hard.
"I call every two to three hours," Lozynska said.
"Most of the activity is on the east side, but still there is bombing all over the cities in Ukraine," Lozynskyy said.
Lozynskyy lived in Ukraine until he was ten-year-old, and he says last night was a sleepless one.
"It was terrifying. I almost wanted to start crying because I am here. I'm safe. I have most of my family here, but my heart and soul is still in Ukraine," he said.
Members of the local Ukrainian community held a rally at the University of Washington's Red Square on Thursday afternoon.
Valeriy Goloborodko, the Honorary Ukrainian Consul, attended the rally and expressed outrage over Putin's invasion.
"He is bringing death and he is bringing sorrow to millions of people around the world," said Goloborodko.
"We don't want war, we want peace. Russia is the aggressor here," said Lozynskyy. "Our greatest hope is for other people or other countries including America and President Biden to help support Ukraine as much as possible."