VIRGINIA BEACH, Va - As the war in Ukraine enters its second year, Ukrainians in Hampton Roads are calling for Russia to stop the conflict.
Many of them gathered Friday night at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront near the Neptune statue at 31st Street.
More than 115,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the U.S. since the war broke out in their country a year ago.
News 3 spoke to a Ukrainian woman at the vigil who recently left Ukraine for a better life. Now, Olesia Sorokina is concerned for her family back in Ukraine.
"I’m worried about them every day," she said. "Hope that they will still be alive today and tomorrow. No one knows," Sorokina said.
Olesia was a teacher in Ukraine and fled the country. She says she came to America this past summer to have a better life.
"I came here in August to escape from my city, I needed to escape from my city, I needed to go through a lot of Russian military soldiers," Sorokina said.
All of her family is still in Ukraine.
"Every day I get up at 2 a.m. to check their messages. I know when they send something, that means they are okay," Sorokina said.
Since living in America, she says she’s been able to secure a steady job.
"Money that you can earn here is different than money you earn in Ukraine," Sorokina said.
She said she’s now able to help her family in bigger ways than she would not have been able to do if she were still in Ukraine.
"Now I have a job. I can now send money to my family and support our army," Sorokina said.
Others at the vigil said they stand with Ukrainians.
"I just want this war to end. I just want peace," one Hampton Roads resident said at the vigil.
