Chmerkovskiy returned to Poland to help with refugee relief efforts amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Peta Murgatroyd has mixed feelings about Maksim Chmerkovskiy's return to Poland. Chmerkovskiy, who fled to Poland when Russia invaded Ukraine, recently left the U.S. and returned to the former country, after telling CNN that he had been feeling "survivor's remorse" and was "working on an opportunity to go back" to join "efforts on the ground."
Now that he's done just that, a source tells ET that his wife "was so relieved to have Maks back home, but now that he is out of the country again, she is frightened and scared," adding that, at the same time, she is "extremely proud of him and thinking of the bigger picture."
The source notes that Murgatroyd "is concerned about having to explain everything" to their 5-year-old son, Shai, "but also respects the fact that Maks needs to do this for his own sake and peace of mind."
"She just wants him to get home as soon as possible and stay safe but commends him for everything he is doing," the source says of Murgatroyd. "She is focusing on the example he is setting for future generations, their son included."
As for Chmerkovskiy, ET's source says that he "wanted to go to Poland to set a new standard, especially for those who have a stronger voice than others."
"His intention," the source says, "is to utilize his celebrity to amplify what's really going on in the world and give everyone a newfound perspective and to encourage others who have a big following to do the same."
Amid Chmerkovskiy's time in Poland, the source says that he and Murgatroyd "have been trying to be in constant communication," but adds that there's "no doubt that this has been a very difficult time for them and their family."
On Saturday, Murgatroyd took to her Instagram Story to share that she was already missing her husband, who had been back in the U.S. less than 3 weeks before returning to Poland.
For his part, Chmerkovskiy, who left the country in the '90s when it was part of the Soviet Union, took to Instagram Live after arriving in Poland to reveal that he'd started charitable organization called Baranova 27, which is named after the address that he was born at in the Ukrainian city of Odesa.
"[The] humanitarian crisis is getting worse. People are getting hurt worse. There are more people hurt, and there are more people affected," he said. "I would really, really like for you guys to give yourself a day off. Tune out, go to church, spend time with your family. Do your thing. But please, come back to us and come back to realization that a lot of people still need our help, and we should continue providing this support, because we now showed Ukraine as a world, that we can all do it together, and we have to continue probably doing that."
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