Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, harrowing stories recounting the human impact of russia’s invasion of Ukraine have circulated in the public eye. However, many people either don’t consider or prefer not to think about the realities of war when it comes to the most vulnerable among us, our pets. 

During her visit to the front lines in Ukraine, DAWN Inc.’s Board President, Yulia Brockdorf, witnessed firsthand the horrific effect of the war on the natural life in Ukraine. She recounted the desolation of the environment and the heartbreaking conditions of the animals stranded there, like the tiny black kitten that cuddled her legs to approach her for help. 

The kitten was in terrible shape, coughing with pus-filled, watering eyes. When there was a break in the shelling, Yulia was able to get out of that particular location and go to the city to obtain medicine for the kitten. For a week, she treated it with medicated eye cream as well as deworming and anti-coughing antibiotics, and it improved in both health and happiness. Yulia was in a unique position to treat this kitten, but most go without any treatment for infection or disease, as there is little to no access to medical or preventative care.

The invasion of Ukraine has left many such animals in this position, where they must rely on human kindness to survive. There is a significant problem on the front lines with the amount of stray animals that have been adopted by soldiers, nicknamed “combat cats.” These animals have been abandoned by their caretakers, who may have been killed or forced to flee from the war. Along with the starvation, disease, and the dangers of a war zone to contend with, these abandoned pets aren’t spayed or neutered, so they continue to breed new generations of completely orphaned cats and dogs. 

They find themselves human companions in Ukrainian defenders who try their best to nurture and feed them with what little resources they have. On one occasion, Yulia encountered a soldier who gave his can of meat to the animals and opted for just the bread and butter left of his rations for himself. He explained to her that their unit has a mother cat breastfeeding her litter of four kittens and a mother dog breastfeeding her litter of three puppies, and that they need the meat to fatten them up and ensure the babies are fed. 

According to Yulia, it’s difficult to find a unit that doesn’t have a comeback animal they care for, as they are ubiquitous in all units and including those in front-line positions. In war, survival of the fittest becomes survival of the friendliest for these animals.

This approach is not a useful tactic for all the animals struggling to survive the war, however. The larger environmental impact is vast, as Russia’s razing has left many areas scoured and hardly habitable for much of the natural life. The mornings on the front have become devoid of birdsongs, as there are no longer enough places for the birds to nest or rear their young.

The destruction of Ukraine’s ecology is one of the many symptoms of russia’s “peace” that they aim to spread in Ukraine. The words for peace and for world are both “mir” in russian. Therefore, there are different ways of understanding what russia means when it says that it wants mir. To Ukrainians, russia’s mir means destruction, scarcity, and terror for both humans and animals. 

The only hope for these abandoned and orphaned pets is for real peace, through the liberation of Ukraine. Ukraine has proved to be a formidable adversary to the russian forces, and standing up to such a large army is an incredible feat. But the defenders and their animal companions need our support. Though we may not be able to care for them by feeding and treating them where they are, there are still ways to make an impact. In Yulia’s words, “the best preventative medicine we can offer is more ammunition.” 

DAWN is committed to supporting the effort to liberate Ukraine through funding and providing critical humanitarian aid and mental health support in addition to advocating for Ukraine’s sovereignty to achieve an end to the war. It is our vision to help heal all of Ukraine, including its natural life. Join us in supporting Ukraine and let your voice be heard. 

Your support and your voice matter, especially for these animals that can’t advocate for themselves. They won’t cuddle up to our legs to seek help like the little black kitten, but our awareness of their situation should mobilize us nonetheless to help where we can and in whatever capacity we can.

“These different beings come into our lives, sometimes for a short time, for short moments, and there are different ways to make a difference, for making a life or death impact on someone’s experience, be it a human or an animal. Our choices day-to-day, our behavioral decisions, our choice to intervene or to sit back and look the other way matter. Intention matters. And we have to utilize our time, our intellectual and financial resources, our abilities, and our skills, as it will direct the future development of events.”

– Yulia Brockdorf

There is no sustainable peace through desolation, only liberation. The sooner the war ends with Ukraine’s victory, the less the animals in Ukraine have to suffer – and the birdsongs can break the silence of the mornings once more.

Though it improved from the treatment for parasites and an eye and lung infection, the future of the little black kitten may not have a happy ending. When she was leaving their position, Yulia attempted to extract the kitten, but it escaped the box. A few soldiers tried to retrieve it and find the mother cat, but were unsuccessful before they had to relocated from the area. 

In the conditions these animals face, it’s possible that it could’ve approached other soldiers for help, or been eaten by another animal that’s been starving. The future of its story is unknown, but there will be many more like it as the war  continues. 

Despite being actively engaged in war and needing to sustain themselves with their own resources, the Ukrainian defenders have not turned a blind eye to the animals that are suffering around them – and neither should we.