Bay Area firm says worker and her children identified as family killed in Ukraine

Perebeinis and her children were trying to flee Irpin, a suburb about 20 miles northwest of Kyiv that lost electricity, heat and water sources, the company said.

A disturbing photo taken by an Associated Press photographer showed Perebeinis and her children’s bodies on a street in Irpin after they were killed, their suitcases beside them. About eight civilians were killed by Russian shelling in the town of Irpin, according to Mayor Oleksander Markyshin. Video footage showed a shell slamming into a city street, not far from a bridge used by people fleeing the fighting. A group of fighters could be seen trying to help the family.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the killings, saying in an address that he will punish the forces who killed the family. “There will be no quiet place on Earth for you,” Zelenskyy said. “Except for the grave.”

The New York Post reports that Perebeinis’ husband, Sergey, is in the city of Donetsk, but is attempting to travel back to Kyiv to bury his family. The Post also reports that the family was in Irpin to take care of Perebeinis’ ailing mother. 

SE Ranking called the Russian army “criminals” in its post, writing that “there are no words to describe our grief or to mend our pain.”

“But for us, it is crucial to not let Tania and her kids Alise and Nikita remain just statistics,” the company wrote. “Her family became the victim of the unprovoked fire on civilians, which under any law is a crime against humanity.”  

“Our hearts are broken,” the company’s message concludes. “Our prayers are for all Ukrainians, who are fighting for their right to exist.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.