WADDINGTON, New York (WWNY) – A North Country man is battling a brain injury following a Russian attack while volunteering in Ukraine.
At the end of June, Cristiano Zeldon from Waddington was in eastern Ukraine having dinner at a pizzeria when two Russian missiles hit the restaurant.
Zeldon suffered severe brain trauma and a fractured skull.
The college student and former U.S. Marine was in Ukraine delivering medical supplies.
He was one of at least 60 people injured.
Zeldon’s sister, Marina LaBaff, says Cristiano has a long road to recovery.
“Just pray for him, pray for his healing, to pray that he is not going to be long termed effected, to pray that he is even able to get out of the country, he is still very much not out of the woods yet,” said LaBaff.
Labaff says Zeldin is still hospitalized in Ukraine, and before he can be moved to another facility in Europe, he needs further rehabilitation. It will take some time before Cristiano is stable enough to be flown to a hospital in Upstate New York.
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