Sinkie bro pulls down the shutters of his 宝芝林 and is leaving Kiev
Singaporean Ix Shen and wife decide to leave Ukrainian capital Kyiv
Singaporean Ix Shen, a former actor, said he and his wife will leave Kyiv as Russian forces continue their attack on Ukraine. (Image: Screengrab from Instagram video/Ix Shen)
Gabrielle Andres
08 Mar 2022 07:57PM (Updated: 08 Mar 2022 07:57PM)
SINGAPORE: Singaporean Ix Shen and his Ukrainian wife have decided to leave Kyiv as Russian forces continue to attack Ukraine.
The former actor and his wife Natalia, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, have been based in the city for the past four months. He has been providing regular updates to CNA as the situation unfolds in Kyiv.
“Based on our latest information, we have decided that it’s not in our best interests to live extensively underground during the next phase of fighting,” Mr Shen said in a video posted on his Instagram account on Tuesday (Mar 8).
“So we’ll be evacuating from Kyiv, in the west direction, and we’re planning and moving as we go along. We’ll be safe and okay.”
In an
interview with CNA last month, Mr Shen said they had no plans to evacuate at the time. He noted that while they had a backup plan to leave, there were issues to consider such as battling the cold weather while being “stuck on the highway with no fuel, no food”.
He also said he has a
moral obligation to share his experience and let the world know what's been happening in Kyiv. In some of his interviews, air raid sirens and gunfire could be heard, forcing him to take shelter.
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously said on Feb 28 that there were at least nine Singaporeans in Ukraine. In an update on Mar 3, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said
three of them have been evacuated from Ukraine and six remain.
Ukraine began evacuating civilians from two besieged cities on Tuesday, after Russia agreed on “humanitarian corridors”.
Its foreign minister also called on Russia to “uphold its ceasefire commitment, to refrain from activities that endanger the lives of people and to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid”.
Source: CNA/ga(gs)