Rob Rinder has found Oksana Platero’s family in Poland following a week-long search at the Ukraine-Poland border.
Rinder, a barrister and TV personality who partnered with Platero during the 2016 season of Strictly Come Dancing, revealed he was looking for his former dance partner’s family last week.
He has been documenting his journey on social media, and posted this morning that he had located Platero’s grandmother and aunt.
Posting a picture with the two women, Rinder captioned the images: “Oksana’s family: Auntie Lidya and Grandma Zoya.
“We managed to reach them this morning with a wheelchair and some medical supplies. Despite having nearly nothing.. they are ‘grateful for everything’.”
Platero posted the same images to her own Instagram account, and wrote: “I can’t say thank you enough to my wonderful SCD partner @robrinder and his team for being there for my family and so many others.
“You are a truly remarkable man and my love for you is limitless. The world needs more people like you.”
Rinder later posted another image of himself with a dog, which he identified as Tesla, the Platero’s family puppy.
It is unknown how Rinder located Platero’s family but he told Talk Radio that they are currently staying in “one small room” in a bungalow in Tuchow, Poland. Rinder added that Platero’s uncle and cousin are on their way to join them.
Rinder has spent the past week reporting from the Ukraine-Poland border. He revealed his plans to go to the Ukrainian border last week, tweeting: “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.”
Rinder’s help came after Platero revealed in a post to Instagram last week that her family had left their home in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.
