As the conflict escalates in eastern Ukraine, thousands of animals have found themselves caught up in the human tragedy unfolding around them. These poignant images of dogs, cats, and livestock in a war zone serve to underline the disruption and chaos unleashed by the violence in the Donbas region, which has already claimed more than 5,000 lives. (WARNING: Contains images some viewers might find upsetting.)
Eastern Ukraine: Animals In The Crossfire
![A dog stands at the site where a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane was shot down near the village of Hrabove in the Donetsk region.](https://gdb.rferl.org/5f3216ce-2930-43c4-8ea1-be5dd63a2cd6_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
1
A dog stands at the site where a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane was shot down near the village of Hrabove in the Donetsk region.
![A cat wearing a ribbon with the colors of the Ukrainian national flag stands near military binoculars at a checkpoint in the town of Avdeevka near Donetsk last August.](https://gdb.rferl.org/c1443a32-01ec-4acd-ba6f-aa6ea089058c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
2
A cat wearing a ribbon with the colors of the Ukrainian national flag stands near military binoculars at a checkpoint in the town of Avdeevka near Donetsk last August.
![Vladimir Shramko, 48, walks past his neighbor's house, which was damaged by shelling, in the village of Spartak on the outskirts of Donetsk in October 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/69dbd3f2-c351-48e2-833f-e6b7830b7bb1_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
3
Vladimir Shramko, 48, walks past his neighbor's house, which was damaged by shelling, in the village of Spartak on the outskirts of Donetsk in October 2014.
![Dogs gather near a Ukrainian tank at a position near Donetsk in September 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/11ee82df-619f-4a27-84f2-8b377e401923_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
4
Dogs gather near a Ukrainian tank at a position near Donetsk in September 2014.
![A dog sits amid the rubble of damaged buildings in Donetsk in November 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/d85b22a4-5e64-4cde-afce-56be65f316ee_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
5
A dog sits amid the rubble of damaged buildings in Donetsk in November 2014.
![A Ukrainian serviceman hugs a dog at a checkpoint near the eastern Ukrainian town of Gorlovka in October 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/250f7a66-2f30-4f1a-b5e9-59cc7e38762b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
6
A Ukrainian serviceman hugs a dog at a checkpoint near the eastern Ukrainian town of Gorlovka in October 2014.
![A cat stands in front of a destroyed building after fighting between pro-Russian militants and Ukrainian forces near Slovyansk in July 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/f6c407d6-d973-4034-a68b-ffaafffadef4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
7
A cat stands in front of a destroyed building after fighting between pro-Russian militants and Ukrainian forces near Slovyansk in July 2014.
![A masked pro-Russian separatist sits beside a dog as he poses for a picture inside an occupied regional government building in Donetsk in April 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/3dc3c76b-1e9d-4878-b5c1-8a7ff50ac341_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
8
A masked pro-Russian separatist sits beside a dog as he poses for a picture inside an occupied regional government building in Donetsk in April 2014.
![A local boy holds a cat outside his Donetsk home, which was damaged by shelling.](https://gdb.rferl.org/a7e326b3-3a52-4459-a8d0-3f12dc3cf569_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
9
A local boy holds a cat outside his Donetsk home, which was damaged by shelling.
![Dogs pass by uniformed men, believed to be Russian soldiers, near a Ukrainian military base in the village of Perevalnoye outside Simferopol, Crimea, in March 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0727bd3e-dc9e-4900-897b-059019586549_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
10
Dogs pass by uniformed men, believed to be Russian soldiers, near a Ukrainian military base in the village of Perevalnoye outside Simferopol, Crimea, in March 2014.
![A cat rests on a bed in a basement used as a shelter from artillery fire in Donetsk late last year.](https://gdb.rferl.org/01ab1e09-0374-42c3-9fa4-c5a642ccb02e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
11
A cat rests on a bed in a basement used as a shelter from artillery fire in Donetsk late last year.
![A woman carries a dog as smokes rises above buildings shortly after a shelling in Donetsk in August 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/12effe74-16d6-45ff-86cd-b9a8f9984f91_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
12
A woman carries a dog as smokes rises above buildings shortly after a shelling in Donetsk in August 2014.
![Ukrainian serviceman play with a cat during a short break in the village of Pesky, not far from the embattled airport of Donetsk, in October 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/7c88987c-176b-442c-87d0-de56fe81a301_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
13
Ukrainian serviceman play with a cat during a short break in the village of Pesky, not far from the embattled airport of Donetsk, in October 2014.
![Cows graze near a tank and servicemen, believed to be Russian, outside a military base in Perevalnoye, near the Crimean city of Simferopol, in March 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/74c7e831-2930-4fbb-ab28-7a88356b2d6e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
14
Cows graze near a tank and servicemen, believed to be Russian, outside a military base in Perevalnoye, near the Crimean city of Simferopol, in March 2014.
![A dog looks at the body of Vladimir Churilov, who was killed by shelling while out on a walk in the Azotny district of Donetsk in December.](https://gdb.rferl.org/ec8d0987-321c-4995-b676-53b03342121d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
15
A dog looks at the body of Vladimir Churilov, who was killed by shelling while out on a walk in the Azotny district of Donetsk in December.
![A dog barks in front of a car damaged by recent shelling in the village of Krasnyi Pakhar near Donetsk in November 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/02241d0a-83ac-4951-98d0-66da608ff714_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
16
A dog barks in front of a car damaged by recent shelling in the village of Krasnyi Pakhar near Donetsk in November 2014.
![A cat lies on an ammunition box at a pro-Russian separatist position near Donetsk airport late last year.](https://gdb.rferl.org/4e1a3171-fc49-4ea0-84b2-8832514efdaa_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
17
A cat lies on an ammunition box at a pro-Russian separatist position near Donetsk airport late last year.
![A pro-Russian militant pets a dog while guarding a checkpoint in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk in June 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/390e7063-1ac6-47b4-aef1-ff6576c0c1d8_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
18
A pro-Russian militant pets a dog while guarding a checkpoint in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk in June 2014.
![A Ukrainian soldier plays with a dog in the eastern city of Debaltseve in December 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/8bf1fbed-f064-46b7-bd3c-a290d5159ffc_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
19
A Ukrainian soldier plays with a dog in the eastern city of Debaltseve in December 2014.
![A Ukrainian serviceman rests with a dog at a military camp near the town of Horlivka in eastern Ukraine in September 2014.](https://gdb.rferl.org/f92d43a4-91e5-4bfa-8fe5-fc28b85973ae_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
20
A Ukrainian serviceman rests with a dog at a military camp near the town of Horlivka in eastern Ukraine in September 2014.
![A Ukrainian serviceman pets a stray dog as convoys of buses leaves Ukraine's frontline town of Debaltseve to take besieged civilians to safety after both sides agreed a brief humanitarian truce.](https://gdb.rferl.org/15ecf8c8-aa34-48a3-af04-c93c7d016be8_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
21
A Ukrainian serviceman pets a stray dog as convoys of buses leaves Ukraine's frontline town of Debaltseve to take besieged civilians to safety after both sides agreed a brief humanitarian truce.
![A female Ukrainian soldier holds a dog at a checkpoint in the village of Pesky near Donetsk.](https://gdb.rferl.org/29fa081a-fa4b-4a07-8419-ca0617d8f40b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
22
A female Ukrainian soldier holds a dog at a checkpoint in the village of Pesky near Donetsk.