Chicago influencer escapes war-torn Ukraine amid Russian invasion

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A Chicago influencer with well over 40,000 followers on Instagram is using her platform to help shed light on the difficulties Ukrainians trying to flee the war-torn country are facing amid the Russian invasion.

Olga Tsoi was born and raised in Ukraine, but has called Chicago home for over a decade.

She returned to her home country days before New Year’s Eve to visit family and undergo knee surgery.

When recovery started taking longer than expected, Tsoi delayed her plans to come back to Chicago.

The 31-year-old and her mother fled their home on Feb. 24 when Russian bombs and missiles rained down over Ukraine. They escaped to Krakow, Poland on the night of Feb. 27.

Tsoi’s father, grandmother and the rest of her family live in southern Ukraine, where they’re taking shelter in a cellar.

Tsoi says she plans on catching a flight to Chicago, where she hopes to seek asylum for her mother.