Brent and Anna Huso with their family on a ski trip in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains last month.
FARGO (KFGO) – When McVille, N.D.’s Brent and Anna Huso traveled to Ukraine in early February it was to spend time with Anna’s family and go on a ski vacation in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains. One unthinkable month later, the Husos are still in Ukraine, sheltering in a mountain village in the western part of the now war-torn country, trying to determine what to do next after enduring a devastating loss and watching with horror as Anna’s home country has come under siege by Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces.
Brent Huso shared the family’s story with KFGO on Tuesday. The following is based on his account.
Anna Huso’s family – including her parents Olga and Alexander, her sister and brother-in-law Shenya and Sergi, and two nieces Anna and Arina – is from a Kyiv suburb.
They joined Anna and Brent on their ski trip but returned home while Anna and Brent stayed behind in the mountains as tensions rose between Ukraine and Russia.
Anna Huso’s sister and nieces in Ukraine. Photo credit: Anna Huso
Just a few days later, the invasion of Ukraine began. Anna’s family took refuge in a small country home they own southeast of Kyiv. Their escape from the capital city was a harrowing one due to the panicked atmosphere. Even in the country though, the family could hear bombings and had to adhere to a curfew and no lights after 7pm. Markets were completely empty. Finally, they were able to catch an evacuation train from Kyiv to western Ukraine, near where Brent and Anna were.
But Sergi could not join them. Men aged 18-60 are being asked to stay and fight in Ukraine. In addition the family had pets to care for and Sergi’s mother was ill and could not be moved.
A chaotic scene met Anna’s family when they arrived at the train station. Soldiers yelling, crowds surging, shots being fired. They tried holding hands to stay together but temporarily lost Anna’s father in the confusion. They didn’t know if he’d managed to board as the train left the station. He had been helping others board and managed to be one of the last to get on the train.
The family wasn’t able to hug or say a proper goodbye to Sergi as they were pushed forward. Anna’s nieces said they looked back to see their father giving them a thumbs up with tears in his eyes. That was the last they would ever see of him. Sergi died of a heart attack shortly after he said farewell to his family at the station. They would not learn of his fate for over a day despite many frantic calls trying to find him.
The 11-hour train trip was jam-packed, with mostly women and children standing shoulder to shoulder the entire way. But Anna’s family’s journey wasn’t finished when they finally arrived at the station in western Ukraine. During the three hour drive to where Anna and Brent were they were stopped at a checkpoint and narrowly avoided detention, as they were on the road past the curfew.
Anna Huso’s parents in Ukraine. Photo credit: Anna Huso
Today the family is in a state of heartbreak and uncertainty. They are still encamped in the small western village in Ukraine but are looking to evacuate to another country soon. Infrastructure in-country is grim with fuel and market supplies extremely limited. Anna’s parents’ retirement funds have been shut down. Brent and Anna would like for her family to come back to North Dakota with them but don’t believe it to be a viable option in the near term due to U.S. refugee policy and visa processing red tape.
The Brent & Anna Huso Family Fund has been established at the McVille and Tolna Farmers & Merchants State Bank. Brent and Anna have committed the funds to helping their Ukrainian family start over. The phone number for the bank is (701) 322-4324 for donations, and the family is setting up a Facebook page with Venmo access soon in order to take online contributions as well.
Brent and Anna Huso with their family in western Ukraine today.
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