Angeleno with family in Ukraine reacts to Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17

Ukrainian forces servicemen patrol on July 16, 2014 in the Ukrainian city of Slavyansk around a TV tower destroyed during combats between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian militants. Hesitant European leaders on July 16 launch a fresh debate on adopting new sanctions against Russia for its perceived backing of Ukrainian insurgents that could boomerang against their own fragile economies.

As events unfold in Ukraine, it is a nervous time for those with family in the region living thousands of miles away here in Southern California.

As emergency workers in the sunflower fields and villages of Eastern Ukraine search the wreckage of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 today, there is still no official confirmation yet on who shot the surface-to-air missile that brought the plane down. But one thing is certain, it's making the situation in the region even more tense.

As events unfold, it is a nervous time for those with family in the region living thousands of miles away here in Southern California.

Nick Kolesnikow is a Russian living in Los Angeles whose family is living in Slavyansk, the heart of the separatist movement. He joins Take Two to talk about what he's heard from his loved ones in Russia.