Judge Rob Rinder has met his Strictly Come Dancing partner Oksana Platero’s grandmother after she crossed the Polish border.
The Good Morning Britain star – who has been outspoken against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing war in Ukraine – has shared a powerful photo on social media after meeting her in Poland.
He tweeted on Monday morning: ‘Oksana’s grandma is 95. She spent a week fleeing Russian shelling & FINALLY crossed the Polish border with no wheelchair, food or medical supplies but she is resolute & strong.
‘She remembers the last war & knows that ‘ultimately they will return home and Tyranny will fail.’ (sic)’
He also shared Oksana’s GoFundMe page asking for donations to help her family with ‘accommodations, food, and medical attention’ after they fled the country earlier this month.
Thus far, over $12,400 has been raised – more than double the initial $5,000 goal.
Meanwhile, Rinder appeared on talkRADIO this morning and opened up on the scenes he’s experiencing at Przemyśl train station in Poland on the border.
‘There are kids in buggies, there are old women and children arriving here. There are international agencies and of course the Polish people have taken 1.5 million refugees in,’ he said.
‘We’ve found Polish interpreters working for free, young people across the board who are willing and are offering their services to help as many people as possible.
‘Every person we’ve met is Polish and when you ask them why they’re doing this, it’s a question they can’t answer. The answer is, “Because they’re my brothers and sisters.” ‘
Rob and Oksana competed on Strictly together in 2016, reaching the semi-finals of the competition, and have stayed close friends since.
The pro dancer recently shared her grandparents’ devastating ordeal while trying to escape danger as the Russian army advances its invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Rob previously detailed his mission to get to Poland by today to reunite with Oksana’s grandparents.
He wrote in tweets: ‘Oksana Platero my Ukrainian dance partner on @bbcstrictly gifted me so much. Right now her grandparents are a week into their struggle to find sanctuary in a safe country.
‘I’ll be trying to meet them on the border next week. They’re just a few of the millions who need us.’
In another post, he wrote: ‘Depends on where they make it to but I’ll be at the polish border from Monday. If they cross into Hungary the next step will be getting them to safety with their family.’
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