Maksim Chmerkovskiy Says He Was Arrested in Ukraine Amid Russia Invasion

In his latest update from Ukraine, Dancing With the Stars’ Maksim Chmerkovskiy detailed the “fighting” occurring amid Russia’s invasion. Hear his message on getting arrested and more below.

By Tamantha Gunn Feb 28, 2022 1:31 PMTags
Watch: Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s EMOTIONAL Message From Ukraine

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is making plans to escape Ukraine as Vladimir Putin's Russian military forces continue to invade the country. 
 
The Dancing With the Stars pro, who has been sharing daily updates from Kyiv, took to Instagram on Feb. 28 and revealed he was recently arrested.
 
"Just a lot of fighting everywhere," he said in the video message. "The streets are crazy. At one point, I got arrested…but all good, promise. That was probably the least traumatizing moment in this whole thing as far as Ukraine is concerned, but for me, it was just a reality check."
 
Later in the video, he shared his next steps. "I'm going to try to make my way out," he said. "I'm going to try to start getting toward the border. I have options. My options are better than most people's unfortunately."
 
Maksim, who recently returned to the Eastern European country to be a judge on the Ukrainian World of Dance series, concluded his message by asking people who have been following his journey not to panic if he "disappears" for a while. 

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Peta Murgatroyd Asks for Prayers for Husband Maksim Chmerkovskiy Amid Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

He also condemned the alleged reports that several African students were being discriminated against at the border while trying to escape Ukraine, saying, "People are running from a conflict from the of war. Treat everybody the same."
 
Just days before this update, Maksim's wife Peta Murgatroyd asked her followers to pray for her husband's safe return to the United States. 

"Please pray for my husband Maks," she wrote in a note shared to Instagram Feb. 24. "I don't usually ask these things from my social media network, however, today is extremely hard and the next few will be even harder. My pain is overwhelming and I'm struggling, but you sending your positive light and love to him would mean the world to me. Truly, I wish for nothing more."
 
Peta also asked her followers to pray for the Ukrainians whose "lives are being greatly uprooted" and are in "an unfathomable situation."