Maksim Chmerkovskiy feels ‘guilty’ for fleeing war-torn Ukraine on train of women and children

Days after returning safely to the United States from war-torn Ukraine, Maksim Chmerkovskiy is dealing with survivors guilt, he told GMA on Friday.

The 42-year-old DWTS pro revealed that the trauma he experienced after Vladimir Putin laid siege on the sovereign nation is ‘very difficult to process.’ 

Maks was in Kyiv working on a television show when Russian forces invaded and he fled the country on a packed train of ‘only women and children’ refugees. He admitted to feeling guilt and shame for being able to escape the violence. 

‘It’s a bit surreal, to be honest. This is a country, you know? And the country is on fire,’ he told GMA. 

‘I get into these crying moments. I can’t control it. I cried on the way from the airport,’ he said. 

‘I felt embarrassed the entire ride back because I was the only man on the train amongst all women and children,’ Maks admitted, adding: ‘I feel guilty. I feel bad. I feel shame. I feel upset.’

Initially, Maks had planned to stay in Kyiv amid the battle but was arrested for breaking curfew. That brief brush with the law was an aha moment for the reality star who then decided he needed to get him to his wife Peta and their son.

‘It’s a bit surreal, to be honest. This is a country, you know? And the country is on fire,’ he told GMA. ‘I get into these crying moments. I can’t control it. I cried on the way from the airport.’

‘I felt embarrassed the entire ride back because I was the only man on the train amongst all women and children,’ Maks admitted, adding: ‘I feel guilty. I feel bad. I feel shame. I feel upset.’

‘I felt like things got real, and all the sudden I don’t actually have all of the things needed to feel safe in this place at all,’ he said. ‘I’m not built for this at all. I’m just realizing that I’m not at the place where I should be.’

Maksim documented the days of shelling and his escape on social media. Chmerkovskiy was among tens of thousands of refugees who escaped over the boarder on a train headed to neighboring Poland. 

‘After we took off, I realized that all the people that didn’t get in have to now sleep right there in that train station. It’s not heated. It’s just a giant building. It’s cold,’ he recalled in his first interview since returning home. 

Finally: On Thursday, Maksim and wife Peta were seen together out in Los Angeles following their emotional reunion 

Together again: The couple were glued to one another as they walked on the beach after spending a terrifying week apart with Maks stuck in Ukraine amid fighting

They’re a team: Peta showed her support and solidarity for her husband and the people of Ukraine on social media while Maks was fleeing for safety

‘I’m dying inside because this is still, you know, very emotional stuff for me. There’s kids everywhere, babies everywhere. It’s negative temperature.’

After finally boarding a plane bound for the U.S. this week, Maks touched down at LAX on Wednesday afternoon where he was greeted by his relieved wife Peta Murgatroyd and members of the media. 

Maks and fellow DWTS pro Peta, 35, married in 2017 and share son Shai, five.

The dancer and choreographer, who was born in Ukraine, had been in the city filming a TV show when Russia launched its invasion.

Seeking safety: Initially, Maks had planned to stay in Kyiv amid the battle but was arrested for breaking curfew and that brush with the law forced him to head home to the U.S.

‘I’m dying inside because this is still, you know, very emotional stuff for me. There’s kids everywhere, babies everywhere. It’s negative temperature.’

He reached Warsaw, the capital of Poland, on Tuesday after he was arrested in Kyiv and then took a ‘traumatizing’ train ride full of women and children heading to the Polish border. 

Maks called his train ride ‘claustrophobic’ and ‘traumatizing,’ filled with women and children fleeing the war torn country.

‘I made it on the train. We’re heading to Warsaw (hopefully). Train to Lviv was not an option,’ the choreographer penned. ‘The situation at the train station is insane. AT first it feels manageable, but it get A LOT worse when it comes time to actually board the train.’

‘Long story but all I can say now is that I’m a big man with nothing but a backpack it’s TRAUMATIZING,’ he continued. ‘Currently I’m in a cabin with 4 adults and 7 kids (ages 2-11) which is usually only occupied by maximum of 3 people.’ 

Harrowing journey: He reached Warsaw, the capital of Poland, on Tuesday after he was arrested in Kyiv and then took a ‘traumatizing’ train ride full of women and children heading to the Polish border

Maksim revealed that the train car that he was traveling on was outfitted for roughly 30 riders but refugees were told they needed to fit 135 people inside.

‘Walkways are packed. People everywhere. It’s sweaty and claustrophobic,’ he said. Photos from a train station in illustrate the reality star’s situation. Thousands of people were seen bundled up in freezing temperatures standing practically on top of one another as they attempted to get a train out of the country. 

What finally broke me is when I was watching an eight-ish year old boy, hysterically crying and not wanting to let go of his father,’ he wrote in a heartbreaking post on Instagram. ‘Verbatim: ‘if you stay I want to stay too because if they kill you I won’t be able to help’.’

One of the lucky ones: Chmerkovskiy, who was born in Ukraine, was allowed to leave the country because he holds a U.S. passport; Men of fighting age have been prohibited from fleeing Ukraine per a country-wide mandate and must stay to help the war efforts 

Finally, Maks shared via social media early Wednesday morning that he had managed to get a seat on a plane to Los Angeles. 

Maks and his brother Val emigrated to New York with their parents in 1994 and went on to become US citizens.

He was able to leave Ukraine thanks to his US passport as all Ukrainian men of fighting age – between 18-60 – have been prohibited from leaving the country and must remain to fight the Russian invaders. 

He admitted it was a difficult choice, explaining via social media: ‘I’m having very mixed emotions.

Ready to fly: The reality star had revealed Wednesday morning that he had managed to get a seat on a plane to bring him back to the United States 

‘I have my friends there, my friends in [the] frontline…. I can’t hear from some of the people. I can’t get in touch with them. I don’t know if they’re dead.’  

Maksim slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin and said the Russian people are ‘confused’ and ‘not sure.’ 

‘[Putin] doesn’t represent all the Russians,’ he said. ‘Just want that to be very clear. I don’t want there to be hate. I don’t want there to be disgust with them as a nation. They’re our brothers and sisters. My mom’s brother… his family lives in Russia. 

‘My grandpa lives in Russia. On the Russia territory. They moved when they had no job, no work, no opportunity to another nearby village basically they are also scraping by.’

Terrifying: Thousands of people were seen bundled up in freezing temperatures standing practically on top of one another as they attempted to get a train out of the country (Pictured: Evacuation train in Kyiv)

He added: ‘I’m mostly angry. I’m also f****ng angry and p****d…. ‘I came from that place. USSR didn’t represent me and I think [Putin] doesn’t represent the good ones. We just got to help them and open their eyes. So keep talking, keep using your voice and so will I. I’m getting on a plane. Talk to you from LA,’ closing out the video.

His exit from Poland came hours after he sat down in his Warsaw hotel room and decompressed following his dramatic ordeal fleeing Ukraine. 

Maksim said he ‘lived through some s**t that I’m going to need a lot of therapy for’ on an Instagram Live.  

More than a week ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to put nuclear weapons on enhanced alert for ‘special regime of combat duty’ amid heightened tensions with Europe and the United States following the invasion.

Putin cited aggression toward Russia from NATO as well as economic sanctions and moves shutting down Russian banking institutions using the banking system SWIFT.

The latest: Maksim Chmerkovskiy revealed he was arrested while in Kyiv, Ukraine but called it the ‘least traumatizing moment in this whole thing as far as Ukraine is concerned

Dancing With The Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy timeline in Ukraine

FEBRUARY 2

Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who was born in Ukraine but became a US citizen in 2019, flies to Kyiv with plans to stay for a ‘few months’ film a new Ukrainian show called World of Dance.

FEBRUARY 6 

 The Dancing With The Stars pro, 42, begins filming as a judge on the panel and declares he’s ‘really happy to be back in Ukraine’.

FEBRUARY 24 

Maksim shares a tearful clip from Kyiv saying ‘I want to go back home’ and says he is ‘about to go into a bomb shelter because s**t’s going down’. His wife Peta Murgatroyd, with whom he has a five-year-old son Shai, pleads for his safe return and asks for prayers. She admits: ‘My pain is overwhelming and I’m struggling. Please pray that he has a swift, safe exit.’ 

FEBRUARY 25

He shares another clip filmed in Kyiv and tells fans he is ‘safe’ but the situation is ‘pretty die’ and that the ‘whole country is being called to go to war. I don’t know the answer, I just want the shooting to stop.’

FEBRUARY 26 

He calls out his former DWTS partner Kirstie Alley for tweeting she doesn’t know what’s ‘real’ and ‘fake’ about Russia invading his home country. He noted: ‘No one needs your prayer if you don’t know what’s real or fake.’

FEBRUARY 27

Petra admits she’s going through ‘hell’ but thanks fans for their kindness and support, revealing strangers made her cookies to offer comfort. Maks commented on her post, writing: ‘I love you and I’ll see you soon! Save me a cookie.’

FEBRUARY 28

Maks reveals he was arrested in Kyiv but doesn’t reveal why. He said the ‘streets are crazy’ and the arrest was ‘probably the least traumatizing moment’ but noted it was a ‘reality check.’ He reveals he plan to flee, noting ‘I’m going to try and make my way out. I’m going to start making my way towards the border. I have options. Just a little nervous but I think it’s going to be alright. I know its’ going to be okay.’ He later boards a train heading to Warsaw alongside women and children, calling the journey ‘claustrophobic.’

MARCH 1 

The dancing pro reaches Warsaw, Poland after 31 hours of no sleep on his ‘traumatizing’ train ride women and children fleeing Ukraine following the Russian invasion. The star thanks the ‘amazing Polish people.’

MARCH 2  

Maks boards a plane in Warsaw heading to Los Angeles. He is greeted at the airport by his wife Peta Murgatroyd in an emotional reunion.

MARCH 4

In his first interview since fleeing Ukraine, Maks tells GMA that feels ‘guilty’ for leaving the war-torn country and is dealing with bouts of crying in the wake of the traumatic experience. He also revealed the reason that he was arrested in Kyiv was for breaking curfew. 

Emotional: Maksim, pictured on February 24, shared a tearful clip from Kyiv and said ‘I want to go back home’ and says he is ‘about to go into a bomb shelter because s**t’s going down’