Mila Jovovich shared her support for Ukraine on Friday amid the ongoing invasion of neighboring Russia.
The 46-year-old Ukrainian-born Resident Evil star wrote on Instagram that she was “heartbroken and devastated” as she came to terms with the deadly military invasion.
The actress said she felt “torn in two” by her legacy from both Ukraine and Russia, although she shared a series of connections with her fans to help Ukrainians under siege.
Solidarity: Ukraine-born Mila Jovovich shared her support for Ukrainians and wrote that she was “heartbroken” by the Russian invasion in an Instagram post on Friday; seen Feb. 19 in LA
Jovovich’s comments come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops gathered on Ukraine’s border with Russia to attack the country, including the nation’s capital, Kiev, hundreds of miles from the border.
“I am heartbroken and dumbfounded trying to cover this week’s events in my hometown of Ukraine,” she wrote in a grim note on Instagram. “My country and the people have been bombed. Friends and family are hiding.
She continued: “My blood and my roots come from both Russia and Ukraine. I am torn in two as I watch the horror unfold, the country is destroyed, families are displaced, their whole lives lie on charred fragments around them.
The Fifth Element star compares the battles in his home country to the experiences of his father, a Serbian-born doctor who was once part of the former Yugoslavia.
Speaking: She attacks “leaders who cannot bring peace” and “the endless giant of imperialism” in her passionate statement
Help: Jovovich also directed his fans to donations for Ukrainian refugees as well as the country’s army; seen in 2019 in Cannes, France
Jovovich did not sound optimistic that the current attack on Ukraine would spare its civilians.
“I remember the war in my father’s homeland, the former Yugoslavia, and the stories my family tells of the trauma and terror they went through,” she wrote.
“War. Always war. Leaders who cannot bring peace. The endless giant of imperialism. And people always pay with blood and tears.
The actress banned comments on her post and included a link to a document directing her followers to funds in support of Ukrainian refugees, as well as the country’s military and its independent journalists.
Under attack: Russian forces on the orders of President Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine earlier this week and moved inward to attack the capital Kiev; Kiev seen on Friday
Jovovich was born in the capital Kiev (often spelled Kiev) in 1975, when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union.
It would later become an independent state in 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Following the initial gathering of Russian forces at the border last year, a full-scale invasion of Ukraine began earlier this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has so far rejected proposals to evacuate the United States.
Prior to the invasion, Putin said Russian forces would “denazify” Ukraine, but neo-Nazi groups in the country had little electoral success and Zelensky was Jewish.
Staying in place: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has so far turned down proposals for an evacuation from the United States; Zelenski (center) can be seen on Friday
He does not hold back: Before the invasion, Putin claimed that Russian forces would “denazify” Ukraine, but neo-Nazi groups in the country had little electoral success and Zelensky was Jewish; Putin was seen in Moscow on Tuesday
Although Jovovich was born in Ukraine, she spent much of her childhood in Moscow before emigrating to London when she was just five.
Less than a year later, her family moved to California again, eventually settling in Los Angeles.
She initially worked as a model and actress before exploding with her starring role in the 1997 sci-fi film The Fifth Element.
She most identifies with the series of horror films Resident Evil, in which she starred.
In 2009, she married the first director of the film series, Paul W. Anderson, and they share three children.
Success story: Jovovich moved to London when he was only five, followed by the United States. She went on to star in the series of horror films The Fifth Element and Resident Evil; seen in 2017 with Paul W. S. Anderson and daughter Ever