Maksim Chmerkovskiy says he’s attempting to leave Ukraine

By Chloe Melas, CNN

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is attempting to return home.

The “Dancing With the Stars” veteran posted a new video message Monday, updating his followers on what he’s been seeing and experiencing in Ukraine.

“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 it’s going to be okay,” he said.

Chmerkovskiy said that if he stops posting for a little bit “don’t worry.”

The dance pro also said that he had been arrested but he didn’t say why. He called it a “reality check.”

A few hours later, Chmerkovskiy shared another update on Instagram, saying he had made it on a train, possibly going to Poland.

He is with several other adults and children in a small cabin, he said.

Chmerkovskiy immigrated to the United States from Ukraine with his family in the 1990s. He was working on the reality competition series “World of Dance UA” in Ukraine when the Russian invasion began last week, according to his representative.

Chmerkovskiy first began performing with the hit ABC dance competition series during Season 2 in 2005. He won the competition in 2014 and served as a guest judge in Season 21.

Chmerovskiy married fellow “DWTS” professional Peta Murgatroyd in 2017. The two are the parents of a 5-year-old son, Shai.

Murgatroyd and the couple’s son are not with him in Ukraine. She shared her gratitude on social media for the concern and support people have expressed for her family.

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