Tokyo-based Ukrainian opera singer Oksana Stepanyuk is praying for peace and the safety of her family in her home country as it faces a Russian invasion.
"I wish I could rush to my family and be by their side," the 44-year-old singer said after she spoke to her mother on the phone. "I want this situation to end immediately."
Stepanyuk told Kyodo News in an interview on Saturday that her parents live in a village in central Ukraine. When she called her family on Thursday as Russian forces began their attack, her mother said, "I am scared of the sirens."
Stepanyuk was able to confirm their safety afterward, but she heard military aircraft had started flying near her hometown on Saturday.
"The situation changes every day. I have no idea what will happen next," she said.
Also a well-known player of bandura, a Ukrainian folk string instrument, Stepanyuk said, "Ukraine is an independent country with freedoms and sophisticated culture."
The country "has produced many talented musicians and composers," she said, citing names of maestros such as Vladimir Horowitz, a famous Kyiv-born 20th-century classical pianist. "I wonder whether such freedom remains in place in the future."
Noting Ukraine and Russia are deeply related historically and that there are many instances of mixed-nationality marriages, she said, "I sing for love and peace so people's lives are saved. I want everyone to pray for peace."
