By Ivana Kottasová, Svitlana Vlasova, Daria Tarasova-Markina, Victoria Butenko, CNN
(CNN) — It is common knowledge among Ukrainian soldiers that anyone joining the military will, sooner or later, become a cat person.
Felines are found in the most unlikely places on the front lines. In trenches, at checkpoints, in destroyed homes and at medical stabilization points, they are always looking for some warmth and a bit of food in exchange for cuddles and morale boosts.
But even the most hardened of frontline animals sometimes find themselves in peril. That’s how, earlier this month, the Ukrainian 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade ended up using a drone to evacuate a cat and dog from the middle of the battlefield.
Barsik the cat and Zagybluk the dog made regular appearances in areas held by the brigade before somehow making their way to one of its frontline positions.
Since it was too dangerous for a human to come to collect the four-legged visitors from the dugout, Barsik and Zagybluk got a ride out on a drone. “The guys put them in special breathable pouches, carefully tied them to a drone, and evacuated them,” Nadiya Zamryga, the brigade’s press officer, told CNN over the phone.
She said the operation required special skills from the drone pilot, who had to fly the animals for about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) before landing in a “gentle” way.
Zamryga said the evacuation had a happy ending, as Barsik ended up being recognized by his “cat dad,” a soldier who had been wounded and is now recovering. They are set for a reunification soon, she added.
Zagybluk, meanwhile, is staying with the troops at their rear position, away from the front line, where, Zamryga said, he is thriving. “The stress from the drone flight passed very quickly. These animals have been with the guys for two years and they’re not willing to give up their comrade,” she said.
The determination of many Ukrainians to take care of animals in wartime – even amid the chaos and brutality of the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 – has touched many hearts across the world. As the grinding war stretches into its fifth year, it shows no signs of easing.
Inga Sakada is the director of operations at UA Animals, one of Ukraine’s biggest animal rights groups. It has been involved in evacuations, treatment, and the care of thousands of animals in frontline areas.
“Twice a month, our team of vets travels to the frontline zone and works non-stop, sometimes from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., treating, vaccinating and neutering all the animals brought to us,” she said, adding that as many as 500 to 600 animals can be treated during a single veterinary mission.
Many people who are forced to part with their animals during evacuations know they may not be able to get them back any time soon, Sakada said.
“We had people who were evacuating and couldn’t take their cow with them. We were given a handwritten letter from the owner, in which she described the cow’s character, how she likes to spend time, what she likes to eat, how gentle she is, that you need to talk to her, that she really loves that,” she said.
The cow, called Lypka, is now living in a shelter where she has already won many fans, Sakada added.
The group is constantly struggling to keep up with demand, she said. There are not enough volunteers, not enough places in shelters, not enough people wanting to adopt lost and abandoned pets. Nor is there enough money.
“The sheer number of animals left behind in the frontline territories… in peak periods, we can receive around a hundred requests a day and unfortunately, we cannot cope with them all,” she said.
Not all animals can be saved. The Ukrainian Equestrian Federation said in September that a Russian drone strike had hit a stable and killed several top-ranking racehorses. In October, a strike