GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — It is the sixth night of a nightmare in Ukraine.
More than 500,000 people have run to the borders for safety, while at the same time, defiant and proud Ukrainians have stayed to fight for their lives, country and freedom.
Putin's brutal and inhumane attacks continue, and on Tuesday, we learned his troops struck a TV and radio tower in an attempt to wipe out the free press, while also striking a Holocaust memorial site and the city of Kharkiv's Freedom Square — a place where the public would normally gather.
But, the people Putin is terrorizing refuse to stay silent.
KARE 11's Jana Shortal learned that Tuesday when she met a 14-year-old from Kyiv studying abroad right here in town, watching the nightmare unfold from far away.
Her name is Anna, and she started high school in St. Paul just a few months ago.
JANA: How do you feel about being here, with what is going on there?
ANNA: I think the worst feeling I have right now is a little bit of guilt that I cannot do anything. Because there are people suffering and fighting in my country and I'm here in comfort and loved, and supposed to feel alright. I feel I do not deserve to feel better than they are, they do, so this is not easy.
JANA: Is there a part of you that would rather just go back and join your country?
ANNA: Yeah, that's a big part of me and I know that is not a good idea because my parents are really happy that I am here and I'm safe, but I wish I was 18. If I was 18, I would join [the] military in Ukraine. I would go to [the] army.
JANA: Why would you do that?
ANNA: I don't know. There is this feeling in me that this is my country and I'm supposed to protect it because this is not just about my family, this is about my land and my people, the people I know...and I am not comfortable feeling they are in danger.
It took days, but Anna says she finally heard from her family on Tuesday.
"My family just left Ukraine [a] few hours ago. They crossed the border, really happy about it, they were in Ukraine this entire time," she said.
But she's still able to get a glimpse into what's happening there through photos and videos sent to her by friends who remain.
"A lot of my friends are still there and I still get calls from them saying, 'We are scared, we don't know what to do, we are hiding in a bathroom because this is the only place we can hide at,'" she said. "I feel like I am too young for this."
"I don't understand why. I'm 14. I shouldn't be worrying about [the] safety of my family and my friends and my country. I should worry about school, relationships — whatever — but not this."
We asked Anna what she would like us to understand about the conflict and how it has impacted so many of her loved ones.
"This is probably the thing that you should know...people are going through a lot and they need emotional support, but we are not okay."