A woman based out of Ukraine has used TikTok as a platform to advise and mentor followers about investing and finance. Though, since Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine on February 24, her content has shifted to informing the public about what life on the ground of Ukraine looks like.
User @moneykristina, whose name is Kristina Korban, has over 450,000 followers on TikTok and began giving regular updates to her followers four days ago about what was happening around her.
"To be honest guys, last night was pretty crazy," she said in the first video posted after the attacks began. "It was nearly impossible to sleep. There were explosions going off for hours, the whole house was shaking."
Korban lives in Kyiv, Ukraine and said that the congested roads and surrounded borders make it "difficult and unsafe to move."
She explained that she and her family will be "staying put."
On Monday, Newsweek reported that according to U.N. estimates, that number had jumped to 500,000.
People traveled by foot, train, car and bus to reach lines at border crossings that stretched for miles.
An estimated 4-5 million people could flee the country if the situation continues according to officials.
In a follow up video, viewed over 6 million times, Korban responded to what she called the "most asked question" which read "Why don't you leave the city?"
She explained that it is "nearly impossible" to leave Ukraine due to how "backed up" the roads are.
"Even if we attempted to leave it could take us days to get out of the city," she said.
She noted the gas shortage as another reason the journey would be difficult.
"Imagine trying to sit through that much traffic and then running out of gas, what do you do then?" she asked.
"It's much safer to stay at home," she said. "Plus, there are missiles being thrown around, there are bombs going off. The borders are pretty blockaded. It's just really unsafe."
She said air travel is also out of the question.
On Monday, Korban told Newsweek through WhatsApp that she and her family maintain their decision to stay in their home.
"Air raids could hit anywhere and there is nowhere to hide when you're in the open," she told Newsweek.
As a mother of a 2-year-old daughter, Korban said the "uncertain journey" with a young child would be "extremely difficult and emotionally exhausting."
Korban, who was born in Kyiv, left at a young age because of her dad's role in the Chernobyl clean up. She said she also had "major thyroid issues" as a child due to radiation. Now, she said she splits time between the U.S. and Ukraine having been in Ukraine for the last two years with her family.
She told Newsweek that while Monday was "relatively calm" during the day, things shifted as night approached.
"Our curfew started at [7 p.m.] and everyone is urged to not leave their homes," she said, "They are expanding their attacks into more areas in the city."
She said they have received a "major air raid warning" as well as the warnings of possible network outages. She also shared that there is little food and no gas.
"We're all on high alert as we are already hearing explosions and firing outside," she told Newsweek at around a quarter after 9 p.m. in Kyiv.
Korban said that she and her family's life has "changed drastically this week."
"We are scared, tired and worried," she said, "We are insanely proud of our country and people though for putting up such a great resistance and it's that pride that gives us hope."
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