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Maksim Chmerkovskiy dubbed ‘coward’ for fleeing Kyiv on train packed with women, kids

Maksim Chmerkovskiy was severely mocked after he shared his arduous five-day journey back to the US on Instagram which he said also included his arrest

‘Dancing With the Stars’ pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy got brutally dragged on the Internet after he fled from war-torn Ukraine in a train that was reportedly packed with women and kids.  Shedding light on the same the Ukrainian-American dancer in an interview with CNN on Sunday, March 6 stated that he realized he was taking up space as he was too big in a train that only had women and kids as passengers.
 
"I realized it's all women and children and I'm too big and I'm taking up space. I put myself in between trains. Internally, I justified my space because I was outside”, said the 42-year-old TV personality. The former judge of the dancing reality show was in Ukraine to film World of Dance UA when the “special military operation” by Russian President Vladimir Putin commenced on February 24. He shared his arduous five-day journey back to the US on Instagram which he said also included his arrest.  Maksim now reportedly wants to return to Poland to help in relief efforts.
 
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‘I spent a couple of days with survivor's remorse’

In an interview with CNN, Maksim Chmerkovskiy stated, “You know, the entire time is the feeling that something is looming. And all the time I was being told that, if something happens, we'll take you out, you know, you'll be the first to move out of the country. When everything happened, it happened suddenly… that morning I was literally driving to film and, at 5 a.m., somebody was bombarding my phone, saying, 'You have to go now,' right?" He added, “I felt really bad going, and the feeling sunk in even worse because when I got to the train station, I realized it's all women and children” adding, “I'm literally, I'm too big, and I'm taking up space, so I had put myself in between trains."
 
Maksim Chmerkovskiy also spilled the beans how the entire situation took an emotional toll on him. “I'm still very much in that fight or flight. I'm a big boy. I know for a fact that I'm going through something mentally... I get into these cry moments. I'm emotional. I can't control it. I cried on the way from the airport. I felt embarrassed." He then spoke about feeling guilty for all those left behind saying, “I spent a couple of days with survivor's remorse, I believe that's what it's called.”

‘How much of a coward you are’, asks Twitter

Social media users flocked to Twitter with an intention to condemn Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s actions.  “Coward. This dude holds both American and Ukraine passports. He is a citizen of Ukraine. I was the first to call him out on Instagram. He decided to leave. He CHOSE to leave. NO ONE told him to leave. He said on IG messages”, said one agitated user as another posted, “#MaksimChmerkovskiy for the record you weren’t “arrested” you were questioned..and then you ran away while women and children are killed in ur home country. And you give a front row seat to the world so everyone has no doubt just how much of a coward you are. Pathetic.”
 
One user tweeted, “I heard that Ukraine wasn’t allowing Ukrainian boys/men ages 16-60 to leave the country, so how did Maksim Chmerkovskiy leave Ukraine ???” As another mentioned, “Living in LA he got soft living the good life.  Goes into Ukraine on a Ukraine passport and runs outta there on a US passport.   He just needs to shut up.”  Meanwhile, one tweeted, “Men women and children are not equal. First, save women and children. Then save yourself, Maksim Chmerkovskiy.  Yours were already saved in America 🇺🇸. Then, you have the gut to go on social media rants for some Likes! Shocking.” And, another concluded, “Not a good example showing from Maksim Chmerkovskiy, to run away from Ukraine then going on social media rants. His family were already safe in USA.”