NEW ORLEANS — Early Thursday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a so-called special military operation to collapse Ukraine. He warned the U.S. and the rest of NATO not to interfere or "face consequences you've never seen." Within moments, shells started falling in Ukraine.
For locals in New Orleans with personal ties to Ukraine, it's a heartbreaking day.
Arnie Fielkow adopted his daughters from Ukraine at ages 2 and 5 shortly after Hurricane Katrina. The sisters grew up in New Orleans and are now 17 and 20, but still very much connected to their Ukrainian roots.
"Just a year ago they discovered their two sisters in Ukraine and it has been an incredible bonding to watch the four of them as a new family so to see right now what is happening to them and the people of Ukraine is truly heartbreaking," Fielkow said.
Their sisters are in a city called Khmelnytskyi, which right now, is not experiencing the direct invasion of Russia.
"They are in daily contact and in many cases hourly contact with their sisters to find out how they are doing and what we can do to help," Fielkow said.
"It's been a complete shock. War has been declared in Europe once again and I never thought I'd have to admit those words," said Eddy Hayes, the Honorary Consul to Ukraine for Louisiana. "The impact of this invasion is not just going to impact the Ukrainian people, but it impacts the entire post World War II world. The international order we fought for to prevent tyranny and oppression is under direct attack."
His primary responsibility right now is to assist Ukrainian people in Louisiana. One refugee in New Orleans around 20 years old now can't get back home to his family.
"He's a merchant mariner, he's a cadet on a vessel on the Mississippi River and their voyage ended. He's supposed to go home to Ukraine, but the airports are shut down obviously they are under missile attack and so he's got nowhere to go," Hayes said.
Hayes is working with the Ukrainian Embassy and offering resources to refugees.
"We're going to put him in a local hotel if we have to, just make sure he's okay," Hayes said.
President Biden has said our forces will not enter Ukraine, but thousands of U.S. troops are positioned in nearby NATO countries.
"The NATO forces in Poland and some of those areas they are certainly being mobilized shifted around. I would tell those families is your sons and daughters are there for a very noble reason," Hayes said.
"I fully understand why we're not putting American soldiers on the ground in Ukraine, but the reality is in many ways we are sacrificing the Ukrainian people and the loss of life has just started," Fielkow said.
The New Orleans Russian Community Center released the following statement: "We're deeply shaken and saddened by the Russian invasion into Ukraine. None of the civilian population wants this war. Our people, Ukrainians and Russians have always been closely connected with each other. Almost every Russian has friends or relatives in Ukraine. This is a big tragedy. We hope and pray that this aggression stops soon and the Ukrainian population returns to their safe state."