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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Vicki Newman

Ukrainian DWTS pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy tells fans he's safe in a bomb shelter

Ukrainian Dancing With The Stars professional Maksim Chmerkovskiy has ensured fans that he's safe after taking shelter during a Russian attack on the country's capital Kyiv.

The dancer took to social media to tell his followers he was in a parking garage that was serving as a bomb shelter for people fleeing the attack which has already claimed more than 200 lives.

Maksim, a pro on the US version of Strictly Come Dancing, also shared a harrowing insight into what was happening around him by posting videos of explosions in the city and an oil depot on fire.

The fire looked to be intense, with plumes of thick, black smoke rising above the building, which is about 20 miles south of Kyiv.

Maksim spoke to his fans through Instagram (mirror.co.uk)
He shared harrowing footage of a fire (mirror.co.uk)

He said in the video: "A lot of people here that I don't want to show.

"I have no idea what I'm doing and I just don't want to do something that I shouldn't."

He assured fans that he's "safe" but said "Kyiv is under a serious attack from what I understand, from what I heard."

He said he had "ran downstairs" to the parking structure along with other people after a "serious alarm", and said he would share more information as soon as he had it.

He told fans he was safe in Kyiv (mirror.co.uk)
Maksim said he was safe in a bomb shelter (mirror.co.uk)

Maksim also shared a glimmer of hope by posting snaps of an anti-war protest being held in Los Angeles.

He wrote: "My friends in Los Angeles are making the right kind of noise," as he shared images of people peacefully protesting with Ukrainian flags in their hands.

The dancer asked: "Please continue to fund humanitarian services because innocent people need your help!"

Earlier this weekend, Maksim had stepped outside to show his fans that he'd made it through a night of bombings without being hurt.

He's seen so much devastation (Getty Images)

He said: "So the night went fine, but there was a lot of shooting around Kyiv and some neighbourhoods around.

"There was a lot of attempts to get into the city. There was some air raids."

"This is real. This is really happening," he added as he walked past a building that had been struck.

He's previously said that civilians in Kyiv had been put under a curfew from 5pm to 8am and that anyone seen outside during those hours would be considered a "saboteur".

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