- Anna Zavertailo owns several restaurants in Kyiv but fled as soon as the first bombing occurred.
- She, her husband, and 3 kids drove 18 hours to find refuge in her friends' country house.
- She told Insider that she left her family behind, referring to her employees.
When the first bombing occurred in Ukraine, there was no doubt in Anna Zavertailo's mind that she needed to escape. She and her husband immediately jumped in the car with their three kids in the car and fled Kyiv.
Early Thursday, March 24, Russia attacked Ukraine. Vladimir Putin tried to justify it in a speech announcing the invasion by claiming he sought the "denazification" of Ukraine.
"We don't understand why the attack is happening, it does not make sense," Zavertailo told Insider over the phone on the day following the attack. "But we are safe, far from Kyiv."
Zavertailo owns several restaurants in Kyiv, including Zavertailo and Honey Cafe. She said: "All our equipment stayed in Kyiv in our restaurants. If the city is destroyed, we don't know how we will be able to sustain for ourselves."
She added: "We may have lost all business right now," but in the midst of the chaos, her employees and manufacturers are working together to provide shelter and food for people in Kyiv.
While she is concerned about her businesses, she is also a mother of three children who are all under the age of eight years old. When the attack occurred, she and her husband did not think twice about fleeing.
"We were preparing days before the attack occurred because we suspected something would happen." She did not want to believe it would actually happen, she said, as her voice started to tremble.
"My husband and I are trying to tell our kids what is happening — it is really a war," she added. "Even our kids don't understand. They wonder why our neighboring country would attack us."
But one thing was clear in her children's mind: "They are scared for our future."
The United Nation reported a million Ukrainian have fled their country and are finding refuge in European countries. The UN said on Thursday: "The United Nations has mobilized staff and supplies, both to help people fleeing across borders for safety, and to support those inside the country."
Within the hour following the first bombing, Zavertailo fled to Western Ukraine with her family and found safety in a friend's country house. "We had packed all the necessary on Wednesday. So, we picked up our bags and drove away."
They hadn't slept for three days prior to their departure, as they were preparing for the attack. They then spent 18 hours in the car to reach their destination. Another Ukrainian business owner previously told Insider that "a trip that usually takes 10 hours now takes 23 hours."
"But my husband decided to go back to Kyiv," Zavertailo added. He has remained there ever since.
Despite the escalating situation, Zavertailo insisted that they would not emigrate unless they were given no other choice. "We want to save our business, we want to be there for our people, our family," referring to both civilians and her employees.
Should the worst happen, "we have friends abroad in Italy, Poland, Spain, and other countries, so maybe we'll think about immigration then." But she said this hasn't crossed their mind yet.
Feelings of uncertainty were rapidly growing for Zavertailo. Nearing the end of the phone call, before the line cut off, she said: "We have no future right now."