From entertainment to refuge: Ukrainians turn theater into shelter

LVIV, Ukraine - Ukrainians have turned one of the most famous theaters in Lviv into a shelter house, where they seek refuge as the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalates. 

Katya Kudlach is an actress who used to act in various plays before the war erupted, turning the theatre into a shelter. 

“Natalia left her husband and son behind in Kyiv where they have had to stay and fight. The thought of being separated from them brings tears to her eyes,” Kudlach told Rudaw’s Alla Shally on Tuesday.

The invasion, now on its eighth day, has driven one million Ukrainians from their home, the UN refugee agency on Wednesday.

Thousands of people are seeking shelter in underground stations in the Ukrainian cities while thousands of others have fled to neighboring countries. 

“The cities have become isolated from one another and roads have been closed down. Instead of thinking about hanging out with their friends, our kids are fighting. Seriously, I cannot talk and it's hurting me,” Natalia Terletska said. 

The war has led to the isolation of Russia as the US and its allies imposed strict sanctions, targeting its economy, finance, diplomacy and sports, with Russia losing 498 members of its troops, according to AFP.