Singaporean ex-actor Ix Shen wants to stay in Ukraine to 'help in any way' he can
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left dozens killed and thousands fleeing. But former Mediacorp actor Ix Shen, who is currently based in Ukraine, told The Straits Times yesterday (24 February) in a Zoom video interview that he has no plans to leave.
Shen revealed that he was standing on the balcony of his home in Kyiv, Ukraine, when he heard a loud explosion, which he estimated to be 20km to 40km away, at about 10pm on Wednesday (23 February) or 4am yesterday (SGT).
“It was a very instantaneous flash. For a moment, I thought it was the moon being covered by the clouds, but the clouds would not have been able to move that fast,” he recalled. “Maybe about three seconds later, I heard a very loud boom.”
In addition to hearing a few more explosions and a series of air raid sirens, he also saw several low-flying fighter jets near his home, signifying the looming threat of war.
Shen, who turns 50 next month, has lived in the Podil district in Kyiv for the past four months with his Ukrainian wife of seven years, who is a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. He explained that they currently have no plans to leave the country as his wife is a reservist medical officer who may be mobilised for duty.
Although he has reassured his friends and family in Singapore that he is “alive and well”, the couple are more worried about his wife’s family in Odessa, a port city in Southern Ukraine, especially her grandmother who is in her 90s and unable to walk.
Shen added that they have been following the Ukrainian government’s advice to stay indoors and await new information. He also described that people are tense but remain orderly, with no frenzy or panic.
“The economy has come to a standstill pretty much because most of the shops are closed. The buses and the subway are still operating,” he disclosed. “People were worried that they wouldn’t be able to make online transactions to buy the groceries and water that they need. Fortunately, that is still available.”
In preparation for the impending war, he has stocked up on essential items such as rice, canned food and cooking gas. He plans to share them with the community and hopes to help those around him.
“I will not be able to live with myself if I just take off and go on my own,” Shen said, despite having the option to leave the country. “My main focus is to help in any way I can, to help my family, friends, neighbours to survive this situation.”
