LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A University of Louisville student from Ukraine said his parents, who are stuck in Kyiv, are safe despite hearing explosions around their home Monday.
Arty Pavlov, who is studying to get his second master's degree, is from Kyiv.
WHAS 11's Rachel Droze has been following his and his parents' stories since the war in Ukraine began.
Pavlov's parents still live in Kyiv. Their car broke down days before Russia invaded, which left them stranded in the capital city.
Pavlov said his parents heard loud explosions from their home Monday.
He said they believe the explosions happened about 10 miles from their home and said the area they're living in hasn't been directly hit.
"They made sure to cover the windows with curtains and stuff in case explosion happens so windows and glass aren't flying around," Pavlov said.
Pavlov said his dad, who joined the civilian army a few days into the war, is continuing to help on the streets.
"He has a shift every other day," Pavlov said. "He stays around the area with a couple of other people who stayed making sure there aren't any weirdos walking around and asking around."
Pavlov said if they find anyone suspicious, they detain the person until police can come. So far, Pavlov said his father hasn't personally had to hold any suspicious people.
Understandably, it's tough for Pavlov to watch this war from afar.
"The whole war started during finals week so it was overwhelming and really hard to focus," Pavlov said.
He said the uncertainty of what's going to happen next is what he's struggling the most with.
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"I'm just glad there's not too much action inside the city going on, so at least I'm not as worried every day about the safety of the city and my family and other people who live there," Pavlov said. "It's still concerning because the military units are still outside."
On March 1, a Russian missile thought to be trying to hit a Ukrainian TV tower in Kyiv missed its target. The attack left five civilians dead and damaged the basketball school Pavlov grew up playing in.
"I felt really bad that day," Pavlov said. "It was one of the bad days."
Pavlov, struggling to sleep because he's constantly worried about his family, went into UofL's health clinic and was able to get medication to help with his anxiety.
"I'm just glad I was able to get some help from medical professionals because it's hard," Pavlov said. "It's hard to be an only child and, on top of that, be an introvert and all those things. Being so far away - what if something happens and it's just me?"
Pavlov, who said he's never been on anxiety medicine before, said the medication is helping him sleep better and reducing some of his stress.
"I still struggle to focus on the majority of things, but at least now I have fewer classes to worry about," Pavlov said.
Pavlov says his parents intend to stay in Kyiv for now but will try to take a train west if the situation gets worse.