Ukrainian born actress Milla Jovovich revealed that she is "heartbroken and dumbstruck" after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The star of The Fifth Element and Resident Evil expressed her feelings in a lengthy and heartfelt Instagram post.
She wrote:
"I am heartbroken and dumbstruck trying to process the events of this week in my birthplace of Ukraine."
"My country and people being bombed."
"Friends and family in hiding."
Her mother being Russian, Jovovich shared how having both Russian and Ukrainian ancestry made witnessing the horrors taking place in her home country all the more painful.
"My blood and my roots come from both Russia and Ukraine."
" I am torn in two as I watch the horror unfolding, the country being destroyed, families being displaced, their whole life lying in charred fragments around them."
Witnessing the footage also reminded Jovovich of the stories her Serbian father told her about growing up in Yugoslavia, and increased her dismay that war and violence continue to be a consistent problem all over the world.
"I remember the war in my father’s homeland of former Yugoslavia and the stories my family tells of the trauma and terror they experienced."
"War. Always war."
"Leaders who cannot bring peace."
"The never ending juggernaut of imperialism."
" And always, the people pay in bloodshed and tears."
Jovovich also included a link in her profile which provides information on how to aid the people of Ukraine.
While Jovovich closed the comments section on her Instagram post, several of her fans took to Twitter to express how moved they were by her words.
Good message from Ms. Jovovich especially "Leaders who cannot bring peace." It is a chronic problem and of course it does not benefit their constituents.\n\nSee this Instagram photo by @millajovovich https://www.instagram.com/p/Caa-ZaJpOVj/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet\u00a0\u2026— George Dawson \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@George Dawson \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1645911420
Links attached if you want to donate to help Ukraine but didn't know where to do it. Milla Jovovich linked them to her Instagram, as Ukraine is her birthplace.https://twitter.com/people/status/1497577196373823490\u00a0\u2026— P. D. Pabst (@P. D. Pabst) 1645897848
Milla sad to say but majority of us here in the US are praying with you for Ukraine. Wish we were out there doing more as we see grandmothers and children using guns to survive and ask WHY we let this barbarian do this? WHY? Use NATO to stay out.I guess until on our border.— Doris Hickey (@Doris Hickey) 1645887158
Jovovich is one of a number of celebrities either born in Ukraine or with deep ties to Ukraine who are using their voice to express their support during the Russian invasion.
Adam Nimoy pointed out his late father Leonard's Ukrainian roots.
Leonard Nimoy, the son of immigrants from Iziaslav, Ukraine. #IStandWithUkriane pic.twitter.com/Y7lxjmyzoo— Adam Nimoy (@Adam Nimoy) 1645999293
Oscar winner Marlee Matlin shared her family's Ukrainian connections as well.
#Ukraine needs all of our collective attention and support. Stand strong! For me, it\u2019s personal; my grandfather and family were from Ukraine. #IStandWithUkrainepic.twitter.com/4Us0Et76LR— Marlee Matlin (@Marlee Matlin) 1645810500
Ashton Kutcher, who's wife Mila Kunis was born in Ukraine, tweeted his support for Ukraine in a simple, concise tweet.
I stand with Ukraine— ashton kutcher (@ashton kutcher) 1645764379
Hayden Panetierre also shared a heartfelt post on Instagram, citing her ties to Ukraine and urging her fans to come to the aid of the Ukrainian people.
Panetierre has a daughter with Ukrainian born boxer Wladimir Klitschko, the brother of Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko.
She wrote:
"I have personally witnessed the strength of the Ukranian people who fought so hard for their independence and have continued to passionately defend their country over the years."
"What Putin is odin is an absolute disgrace!"
"For now, I ask for those of us who can't be there to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with the peop,e of Ukraine and shor your support for #democracy."
Wladimir Klitschko, for his part, took to Instagram to thank all his European friends who have come forward in their support of Ukraine, offering an English translation in the video's caption.
He said:
"Thank you to all our European friends who support Ukraine and Ukrainians with all their hearts and want to help us! "
"Accounts have been opened in national banks of several countries for donations to help Ukrainians."
"Thank you!"
Maksim Chmerkovskiy, a former pro dancer on ABC's Dancing With the Stars, and who is currently a judge on the Ukrainian version of the show, has been documenting the invasion and its aftermath regularly on his Instagram account, posting a number of sobering pictures and videos.
Maksim's brother Val, also a former pro dancer on Dancing With The Stars, recently posted a video of a protest against the invasion he attended in Hollywood.
Earlier in the week, Val posted a heartfelt message about how he and his family fled Ukraine when he was a child to avoid war and conflict, only to find his brother there today amidst the invasion.
"My parents fled this country for this exact reason."
"Not because it wasn't good to them, but because their kids would see war eventually."
"It's a cruel Irony that 28 years later my brother is in a bomb shelter in Kyiv."
"If they hadn't left, I would be on the front lines defending my home right now."
Val stood firm in his belief that the invasion had nothing to do with the people of Russia, and that president Vladimir Putin was solely responsible for all that transpired.
"The Russian people don't want this."
"We stood by each other's side."
"I am a proud Ukrainian, and now the world will finally know the difference."
"And to all my Russian friends, this might be the best and only time to stand up to your dictator."
It hasn't only been celebrities with direct ties to Ukraine who have been stepping up in support of the country's suffering and displaced people.
Celebrity power couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have both tweeted their intent to support matches of up to $1 million to come to the aid of displaced Ukrainians.
In 48 hours, countless Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes to neighboring countries. They need protection. When you donate, we\u2019ll match it up to $1,000,000, creating double the support. https://unrefugees.org/SupportUkraine\u00a0https://twitter.com/unrefugeeagency/status/1497622929663840257\u00a0\u2026— Ryan Reynolds (@Ryan Reynolds) 1645900131
.@VancityReynolds & I are doubling every $donated to @UNRefugeeAgency up to $1,000,000 click below if you can join us @UNRefugeeAgency is on the ground providing lifesaving aid, & working with neighboring countries to ensure protection for the 50,000+ who were just forced to fleehttps://twitter.com/unrefugeeagency/status/1497622929663840257\u00a0\u2026— Blake Lively (@Blake Lively) 1645905097
All of the funds raised will go to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, who have promised to send "lifesaving aid" to roughly three million Ukrainian refugees.