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Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 4:30 am

Tatiana moved to Chisinau, Moldova, after leaving Ukraine.

Six Australian filmmakers are traveling the world to make short films for ABC iview's Race Around The World.

This is Elliot Constable's story from his week in Moldova.

Tatiana's phone is ringing on the table.

She says, 'Russian strikes are coming, they will hit Brovari, near my home.'

She got this alert from an app that tracks Russian attacks on Ukraine.

During Russia's attack on Kyiv in 2022, Tatiana left Ukraine with her mother and pet bird.

Tatiana felt helpless when the war started in 2022.

When Russian soldiers attacked the city, Tatiana saw terrible things.

She had to search for food and water on the streets and saw people suffering.

She couldn't do anything to help.

After weeks of hiding, Tatiana and her mother decided to leave.

The roads were very dangerous, with many cars taking wrong turns and getting shot at.

People put signs on their cars saying 'children inside, don't shoot'.

In Moldova, human trafficking was a big concern, especially for women.

Tatiana and her mother made it through the border and eventually settled in Chisinau.

I met Tatiana in a coffee shop in Chisinau.

She looked at her phone and said, 'Russian strikes are coming, they will hit Brovari.'

She was very calm about it, which surprised me.

I felt shocked, sad, and ashamed because I couldn't relate to her experience.

Tatiana saw terrible things in Ukraine.

Tatiana is also dealing with cancer and needs to go back to Ukraine for treatment.

I met Tatiana in a park in Chisinau, where she was reading a book.

We talked for hours, and she asked about my life and family.

I told her about a family member with cancer, and she shared that she also had cancer.

Tatiana helped me with my documentary.

Tatiana needs to go back to Ukraine for cancer treatment.

There are many stories from the first week of Race Around The World.

Tatiana told me about a driver named Yaroslav who takes people between Moldova and Ukraine.

Yaroslav was injured in the war and now helps people by driving them across the border.

I asked to meet Yaroslav, and Tatiana called him to ask.

Yaroslav agreed to meet us, but he had to leave for Ukraine that night.

Yaroslav takes risks to help his fellow Ukrainians.

The drive to Kyiv takes around 10 hours, depending on the situation.

Tatiana is excited to see her family and friends again.

Tatiana says, 'War took my home, and cancer is trying to take my body, but I won't let that happen.'

Elliot Constable is a contestant on ABC iview's Race Around The World.

Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 4:30 am

Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 10:11 am

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