‘DWTS’ Pro Val Chmerkovskiy Says Brother Maks Is in a Bomb Shelter in Ukraine

Dancing With the Stars‘ Val Chmerkovskiy is speaking out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine as his brother, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, remains in their home country, waiting in a bomb shelter. Val took to his Instagram Story Thursday to share his thoughts, reposting the message later to his feed.

“My parents fled this country for this exact reason,” Val wrote. “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.”

Maks previously shared an emotional message Thursday from near the center of Kyiv as military sirens sounded in the background. “I’m in Kyiv, contrary to what I probably should’ve done a while ago … and not that no one saw this coming, but everybody was hoping that the finality of this situation would be averted, that there wasn’t going to be these kind of aggressive measures,” the Ukraine-born dancer explained. Showing a pan of the city, the DWTS alum got emotional as he shared, “You know me – I stay strong, and I don’t show it. But I want to go back home. And I realize that I have the way to – I realize that I have a different passport, and my family is far away.”

Maks’ wife, Peta Murgatroyd, asked her followers for prayers as her husband attempts to make his way home. “Please pray for my husband Maks. I don’t usually ask these things from my social media network, however today is extremely hard and the next few will be even harder,” she wrote. “My pain is overwhelming and I’m struggling, but you sending your positive light and love to him would mean the world to me. Truly, I wish for nothing more.”

The dancer continued, “Many of you are asking for details and I don’t have the answers, but yes, he is safe right now. Please pray that he comes home soon. Please pray that he has a swift, safe exit. I have FAITH. I have HOPE and I have PRAYED so hard.” Maks responded in the comments simply with a crying emoji and red heart.