LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. — Early Thursday morning, Russia began its attack on Ukraine. As cities were being hit by missiles, Ross Bulla in Lincoln County was watching the attacks unfold. 

In 2003, Bulla spent a few months in Ukraine. He said he has traveled the world, visited many countries, and Ukraine is one of his favorites. He says the people are very kind, they enjoy sharing their culture and food with visitors and Kyiv is one of the cleanest cities he's ever seen. 

Bulla keeps a scrapbook from his 2003 visit. He has pictures of babushkas carrying brooms while sweeping the streets. The country also holds a very special place in his heart because he adopted a son, Caleb, when he was four. With Russia attacking Ukraine, Bulla is fearful for the future of his son's home country. 

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“I'm very worried about people I met, people I don’t even remember their names, just now as as population, worried about my son’s family and worried about my son. He may no longer be able to go back and visit. Because what is Ukraine today, may be Russia tomorrow and that changes things a lot," said Bulla. 

Bulla works in the private sector, but he has years of experience in security. He is on the North Carolina Emergency Response Commission and worked security for the Olympics during the Atlanta events. Bulla has also advised on counter terrorism. 

His advice for Americans during the invasion of Ukraine is to backup your computer files. Also, do not open any attachments from senders before verifying first. 

“My sister sent me an attachment on Facebook messenger and I called her to make sure she sent it. This morning I also backed up my computer to a flash drive, all my files, my computer, it's just good practice despite the activities that are happening”, said Bulla.