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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Scarlett O'Toole

Mila Kunis is 'proud to be from Ukraine' and has raised millions to support refugees

Mila Kunis has been helping those fleeing war-torn Ukraine and says she has "never been more proud" to be from the country as she opened up about her family's heritage.

The 39-year-old actress was born in the then-Soviet city of Chernivtsi, but relocated to Los Angeles with her family when she was seven years old.

After Russian forces invaded her home country earlier this year, Mila launched a fundraising campaign to try and support refugees. She has helped to raise more than $37million (£30million) to date.

Alongside her husband Ashton Kutcher, Mila has worked to provide essential supplies and short-term housing to millions who need it.

The Black Swan star has also worked hard to ensure her children — Wyatt, eight, and Dimitri, six, — are aware of where they come from.

Mila has been helping those displaced by the war in Ukraine (Getty Images)
She said she is 'proud' to be from the war-torn country (Getty Images)

"My kids were always going to grow up eating my mother's food. My parents and I speak Russian to each other, so they've grown up with that. They've naturally found pride in being half Ukrainian.

"The truth is I'm very American. I was raised in Los Angeles. That said, I've never been more proud to be from Ukraine.

"I'm so honoured my kids can carry on that heritage," Mila said in an interview with People.

Her husband, Ashton, helped set up the fundraiser (Getty Images)
Mila said she has told her children as much as possible about the war (Getty Images for dcp)

She said she has told her children a little about the war in Ukraine, but added that they "aren't capable of digesting this amount of information".

The Hollywood star was encouraged to set up her fundraiser after receiving calls from friends who wanted to help but didn't know how. She said it took just 24 hours to set it up, with the help of GoFundMe.

Her fundraiser, Stand With Ukraine, has partnered with Airbnb and Flexport to provide relief supplies to refugee sites and help those fleeing Ukraine.

She says there is hope for the future (2018 WireImage)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Mila and Ashton for "inspiring the world" with their fundraiser and said he was "impressed by their determination".

Mila admitted she has hope for the world going forward thanks to her children and the younger generations.

The actress said children of today "think more globally" and have a willingness to help others without being asked.

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