In Druzhkivka, about 70 kilometers north of Donetsk, Ukrainian volunteers are trying to ensure that stray animals survive a harsh winter amid Russian shelling.
Ukrainian Volunteers Risk Their Lives Caring For Abandoned Pets Amid Russian Shelling
![Yulia, an animal rescue volunteer, feeds homeless dogs at the market in Druzhkivka, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, on February 16. The Russian invasion has not only triggered a massive humanitarian crisis; it has also left hundreds of thousands of pets abandoned by owners who fled to seek safety. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-0aff-0242-6914-08db1327ad04_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Yulia, an animal rescue volunteer, feeds homeless dogs at the market in Druzhkivka, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, on February 16. The Russian invasion has not only triggered a massive humanitarian crisis; it has also left hundreds of thousands of pets abandoned by owners who fled to seek safety.
![A member of the Territory of Kindness animal welfare group, Yulia is one of the many volunteers who provides food for animals that now live on the streets. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-0aff-0242-82e1-08db1327c05d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A member of the Territory of Kindness animal welfare group, Yulia is one of the many volunteers who provides food for animals that now live on the streets.
![Though the city is not on the front line, Russian shelling continues to strike Druzhkivka, killing and maiming not only its residents but also the animals. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-0aff-0242-4f27-08db13279eb1_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Though the city is not on the front line, Russian shelling continues to strike Druzhkivka, killing and maiming not only its residents but also the animals.
![Despite the risks, volunteers like Yulia continue to reach out and care for nervous and exhausted animals.](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-0aff-0242-09f0-08db13279eb2_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Despite the risks, volunteers like Yulia continue to reach out and care for nervous and exhausted animals.
![In 2021, there were 267 homeless dogs in Druzhkivka, a town that had a prewar population of 54,000. Since the invasion, volunteers are now feeding more than 900 dogs and almost 1,400 cats that roam the pockmarked streets.](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-0aff-0242-d1ac-08db13279ec4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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In 2021, there were 267 homeless dogs in Druzhkivka, a town that had a prewar population of 54,000. Since the invasion, volunteers are now feeding more than 900 dogs and almost 1,400 cats that roam the pockmarked streets.
![Hungry cats tuck in.](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-0aff-0242-4413-08db1327ae19_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Hungry cats tuck in.
![Svitlana is another volunteer who cares for the abandoned animals.](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-0aff-0242-fa0f-08db1327c522_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Svitlana is another volunteer who cares for the abandoned animals.
![Volunteers take the time to cuddle and play with the abandoned pets.](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-0aff-0242-ed0b-08db1327abd4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Volunteers take the time to cuddle and play with the abandoned pets.
![One of them is this blind dog who gets extra love and attention. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-0aff-0242-255e-08db1327bb3b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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One of them is this blind dog who gets extra love and attention.
![As well as caring for the animals that roam the streets, Svitlana also has 13 cats and 14 dogs at her home.](https://gdb.rferl.org/01000000-0aff-0242-6d69-08db1327b695_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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As well as caring for the animals that roam the streets, Svitlana also has 13 cats and 14 dogs at her home.