Latest news with #Kuleba
Straits Times
03-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Russian missile strike on Odesa port infrastructure kills two, Kyiv says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox KYIV - A Russian airstrike on key Ukrainian export infrastructure in the southern Black Sea port city of Odesa killed two people and wounded six more, including two foreigners, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday. About 90% of all Ukrainian exports are shipped to foreign markets through the ports of the Odesa seaport hub, including millions of tonnes of grain and metals. "Today, an Iskander missile hit one of the berths of the Odesa seaport. At the time, people were working at the berth, unloading metal from a foreign vessel flying the flag of São Tomé and Príncipe," Ukrainian deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on the Telegram messenger. He said berthing facilities for bulk carriers, port cranes, cars and warehouses were damaged. Kuleba said two people were killed - a docker-mechanic and a truck driver. Six more people were injured, including two Syrian citizens and members of the crew of a civilian ship. "This is not an isolated incident; rather, it is part of Russia's targeted campaign against Ukraine's economy and agriculture, as well as global food security and freedom of navigation," Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Telegram. Russia regularly attacks Ukrainian port infrastructure and stepped up strikes after Ukraine began exporting goods through its maritime corridor along the western coast of the Black Sea. Moscow says its attacks are aimed at impeding Ukraine's war efforts. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches new innovation centre here Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations Ukraine created a shipping corridor in the Black Sea following the collapse of a U.N.-backed Black Sea grain export initiative in 2023 that involved Russia and had ensured the safe passage of grain ships. Since the start of the Ukrainian sea corridor in August 2023, 101 million tonnes of food cargo, including 78.5 million tonnes of grain, have been exported by sea from Odesa ports. REUTERS
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
McDonald's opens more outlets in Ukraine amidst war against Russia. Here's how American fast-food chain making profits in wartime economy
McDonald's had finally reached Ukraine's remote, alpine region of Transcarpathia, and the locals could not be happier. The much-acclaimed arrival of McDonald's in Transcarpathia signals an unexpected trend for the iconic American fast-food chain: In wartime Ukraine, business is booming. McDonald's stated it plans to open about 10 new outposts in Ukraine this year, pushing its total of operational restaurants to nearly 120, more than before Russia's invasion over three years ago. Across the country, city councils are vying to secure a McDonald's restaurant, knowing the chain will bring jobs and increase local tax revenues, as per a report. McDonald's in Ukraine It is also a testament to Ukraine's rebounding wartime economy. Having secured dozens of billions in financial aid from allies and having avoided runaway inflation, Ukraine is now drawing back Western companies that fled early in the war, including Swedish furniture giant Ikea and Spanish fashion brand Zara. Ukraine's economy is projected to grow by 2 per cent to 3 per cent this year, the third consecutive year of growth, although economic output remains below prewar levels, NYT News Service reported. This success builds on a long-running love affair between a post-Soviet country and an American brand, a reflection of Ukraine's growing embrace of Western lifestyle, as per the NYT News Service report. McDonald's in Kyiv Live Events McDonald's opened its first restaurant in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, in 1997. The company's arrival was a major attraction in a country that had gained independence from the Soviet Union just six years earlier and was only beginning to open to the West. Crowds lined up for days to get a taste of the chain's storied burgers. As the company expanded its footprint, Ukrainians' enthusiasm only grew. In 2011, the McDonald's restaurant at Kyiv's central train station ranked as the second-busiest in the world. Ukrainian children love celebrating their birthdays at McDonald's, while students often grab Big Macs after late-night parties. McDonald's during Russia-Ukraine After Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in early 2022, McDonald's closed all of its restaurants. Some establishments, in cities such as Kherson and Melitopol, were destroyed or fell under Russian occupation. Meanwhile, the brand exited the Russian market, joining a wave of departing Western companies. As Russia's initial invasion foundered and its troops pulled back to eastern Ukraine, life cautiously returned to Kyiv. Kuleba urged Blinken to encourage McDonald's to resume operations. "Life is coming back," he recalled telling him during a call. "I think it would send a powerful message if McDonald's came back, too." When the chain reopened in Kyiv in September 2022, people lined for hours -- a scene reminiscent of its post-Soviet debut. The reopenings have not come without risk. The same Kyiv outpost that first opened in 1997 has been damaged several times in Russian attacks, most recently during a January drone and missile strike that shattered its storefront, blowing out its windows. It has since reopened. FAQs Q1. What is capital of Ukraine? A1. The capital of Ukraine is Kyiv. Q2. When did McDonald's open first restaurant? A2. McDonald's opened its first restaurant in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, in 1997.
Metro
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
'British mothers have to accept that their sons will have to die for Nato'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Mothers in Britain will soon have to make an inconceivable choice – send their sons to fight against Russian soldiers in Europe, or suffer the end of Nato, Ukraine's former foreign minister has said. Dmytro Kuleba issued the warning only a few hours after Kyiv faced what he described as 'the worst drone assault' since the start of the invasion. He spoke to Metro exclusively about Vladimir Putin's goal to 'expose' the 'falsehood' of the collective security commitment that binds members of the military alliance, and Europe's 'weaknesses'. The politician said: 'Putin may invade Nato territory soon – so now what? Is Nato going to send a division to fight back? 'The first day that Nato will spend on deliberating whether to trigger Article 5 or not, and how to respond, will be the end of the alliance. 'The first day the EU – which is no big bother to England – is going to spend discussing its response to Russia, is going to be the end of it too. 'This is what Putin is pursuing, because he hates Ukraine – but he deeply despises Europe too. It is a very deep conviction.' Kuleba is not the only one to sound an alarm over the future of Europe and Nato. Just last week, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said Russia may be ready to attack the alliance within five years, calling for a 'quantum leap' in defence spending and industrial mobilisation to avert the conflict. Putin's war machine has been speeding up. On April 1, Russia launched its largest conscription drive with the goal of enlisting 160,000 men. Drone production has also been taking centre-stage. Away from a military spend increase, Kuleba stressed that the 'real focus' should be on developing 'the will to defend yourself' in Europeans. He said: 'Many people believe that the real test for Nato is whether the US is going to fight for Europe. 'The real test will be whether British mothers will actually accept that their sons have to die for Finland or Estonia or Poland. If they don't, there is no Nato. 'This is is how World War II started. 'Why fight for Danzig [now the city of Gdańsk]? Let's give it to Hitler, it is just a city in Poland. Why should we die for it?' That was the question asked by western European nations [at the time]. 'And this is exactly the question that Putin is going to pose to Nato. Europe is already spending money on weapons, but it has to do so much faster. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'But the real question is, who is going to tell the voters that the threat of the war is real?' Kuleba's warnings come from a wealth of experience. Before the beginning of the war, no one in Ukraine – and the rest of Europe – did actually believe that Russia would invade and proceed to massacre tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers. He also made the mistake of thinking that after a certain number of Russian losses in Ukraine – 'like 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers' – Putin would eventually withdraw. It is estimated that there have been one million Russian soldiers killed and wounded since the conflict began in Feburary 2022. It is this 'same pattern of behaviour' – blindly trusting that Putin 'would not dare' to attack – that Kuleba sees across Europe. He said: 'Telling the truth to people about the prospect of war in Europe is what requires more attention than anything else… 'People in Britain or any other country can listen to what I'm saying or they can decide that I am a warmongering Ukrainian who is trying to pull them into my war. More Trending 'I am perfectly fine with any choice they make. What I can say, what I can urge them, is not to repeat our mistakes. 'The biggest mistake Ukraine made was that we did not believe that this can happen to us on this scale. We, in Ukraine, also believed that it is not going to happen to us because Putin would never dare to do it. 'So this is the mistake that people are making. I look around in Europe and I just see the same pattern happening. The same pattern of behaviour. 'Do you think that if Ukraine was able to attack airfields in Russia, 1,000 miles away from Ukraine, Russia is not able to attack any piece of infrastructure in any European country? That would be a very, very big mistake to think so.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Major European holiday destination opens e-gates to British travellers just in time for summer MORE: Zelensky refutes Trump's take on war and calls Putin 'murderer who came to kill the kids' MORE: Russia blames Britain for Ukraine's attack on airfields destroying 40 war planes
IOL News
04-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
The dogs of war: stories from Ukraine's front lines
Former Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba plays with his rescue dogs, Marik, 3, and Puzan, 3, at his home in Kyiv. Image: Serhiy Morgunov/The Washington Post Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv's top diplomat made a very personal and little-known policy decision: He encouraged Ukraine's Foreign Ministry staff to bring their dogs to work. Dmytro Kuleba's rule meant employees didn't have to leave their terrified dogs at home during missile and drone attacks. And it meant Kuleba's new rescue, a gray French bulldog named Marik, scooped from the wreckage of the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, would spend the next couple of years overhearing foreign policy discussions as he waddled around the office. Zhuzha, who is around 6 years old, was adopted by Mykola Kulivets while he served in the Ukrainian military. After surviving several front-line postings together, the pair demobilized and moved to Kyiv. Kulivets brought Zhuzha on a first date with Maria Smirnova, who fell in love with both of them. The couple now live together with Zhuzha Image: Serhiy Morgunov/ The Washington Post Such an arrangement might seem unusual for a foreign minister - but not in wartime Ukraine. Russia's invasion has made the security of pets a national priority. Families in front-line towns often flee Russian shelling with multiple pets in tow, and soldiers feed and care for those left behind. Volunteers then risk their lives to evacuate them to safer cities, where they are often adopted into Ukrainian families or sent abroad. The lengths Ukrainian troops and volunteers have gone to rescue vulnerable dogs has spurred a massive cultural shift, transforming Ukraine - once criticized for its treatment of animals - into an extraordinarily dog-friendly country. Gone are stuffy old rules banning pets from many places. Kuleba resigned in 2024, but the Foreign Ministry confirmed that his dog policy remains in place. Dogs are also now welcome inside most restaurants, cafes, beauty salons, grocery stores and hotels in major Ukrainian cities. They're often greeted with water bowls and treats or, in some cases, their own menus. Kulivets with Zhuzha in his apartment in Kyiv. Image: Serhiy Morgunov/The Washington Post And, like Marik the French bulldog, and Kuleba's later rescue, Puzan, who is from the eastern town of Lyman, many of these dogs were rescued from the front lines. In Kyiv's sprawling parks, families now trade notes about their four-legged mutts' hometowns, describing dramatic escapes from war. Ukrainians' commitment to saving front-line animals 'literally changed how we as a nation are perceived abroad,' Kuleba said. Here are some stories of the dogs of war. 'A basic need' A pack of abandoned dogs roamed the nearly empty village close to the eastern front where Ukrainian soldier Mykola Kulivets was stationed in 2022 - but the smallest, with her long black fur and pointy ears, stood out from the rest. One April morning, she appeared all alone at the door of Kulivets's makeshift base. He fed her a sausage and she never left. He cleaned her dirty, matted fur, named her Zhuzha, let her move inside - and two months later woke up to her giving birth under his cot. The timing could not have been worse: Kulivets's battalion was about to relocate to a village near the front-line city of Avdiivka, and he now had six dogs - including five puppies - in his care. His commander, a dog lover himself, told Kulivets to bring them along. For the rest of the summer, as fierce battles took place mere miles away, the dogs distracted Kulivets and his fellow troops from the horrors of war. 'To have some little one to take care of - I think it's a basic need for every human being,' he said. From afar, Kulivets's mother helped find homes around Ukraine for the four male puppies. His grandparents agreed to adopt the only girl, whom they named Asya. In late August, when the puppies were two months old, Kulivets drove to Dnipro to pass them off to his mom - his first time seeing her since he had deployed. He returned to war the same day with only Zhuzha left. Back east, Kulivets moved with Zhuzha to the city of Bakhmut, which Russia later destroyed and seized. Under intense shelling, he would hurry her outside for bathroom breaks. His team grew so attached that it named the command center Zhuzha, and her name appeared in official military orders. Kulivets and Zhuzha eventually demobilized, and both have settled into civilian life in Kyiv. 'When my commander calls me, his first question is not about me - it's about Zhuzha,' Kulivets said. In villages outside Kyiv, Elina Sutiahyna, 64, and Nadiia Tkachenko, also 64, friends who ran small kiosks in the same market, heard through volunteers about Zhuzha's front-line puppies who needed homes. Sutiahyna adopted one and named him Avdyusha, after Avdiivka, the city Kulivets's battalion defended. The dog now assists Sutiahyna's husband, who had a stroke, acting 'as his eyes and ears,' she said. Tkachenko took another and named him Archie. 'To me it was important to help an animal from the front line,' she said. 'If you see these videos of soldiers with animals, you can't help but just cry.' 'Not normal anymore to buy dogs' Early in the war, Hanna Rudyk, deputy director of Kyiv's Khanenko Museum, left home with her young daughter, Silviia. They moved to Germany, and her husband, Artem, unable to travel due to martial law banning men from leaving the country, stayed behind. Rudyk knew they would eventually return to Kyiv but feared air raid sirens and explosions would traumatize Silviia, who is now 10. Maybe, she thought, a dog would help. But it had to be a rescue - during wartime, she said, 'it's not normal anymore to buy dogs.' Then she saw a Facebook post from a volunteer. Troops fighting in the eastern city of Toretsk, since destroyed by Russian artillery, had been caring for a dog who gave birth at their position. The surviving puppies had been evacuated - and one still needed a home. The remaining dog was a white female with brown spots and big pointy ears like a cartoon character. They named her Latka, Ukrainian for 'patch.' Her goofy personality has helped Silviia adjust to life in wartime. When Russian attacks on the capital send them running for cover at night, Silviia and Latka curl up in the hallway and go back to sleep together. Across town, a puppy from a different Toretsk litter was also settling into his new life. Serhii Piatkov, 35, already had one dog - Leonardo, a Russian toy terrier named for the Ninja Turtle - when he started donating about $25 a month to an animal shelter in Kyiv. In July 2024, the shelter held an adoption drive. Piatkov, who runs an advertising firm, stopped by and locked eyes with a black and white border collie mix with freckled legs. Rescued at just a few months old from Toretsk, he was now surrounded by dogs with severe disabilities. The dog looked like he didn't belong, Piatkov thought. A few days later, he took him home. Keeping with the Ninja Turtles theme, he named him Donatello - Doni for short. 'He's my small bear,' he said. 'Dogs are friends and partners' Three-year-old Lisa doesn't mind when air raid sirens blare in Kyiv, because that means her owner, Olesya Drashkaba, comes to hide by Lisa's bed in the hallway. Lisa is named for the eastern Ukrainian city where she was born, Lysychansk - which Russian forces seized in 2022. Drashkaba, an artist, was abroad early in the war, but when she moved back to Kyiv and opened her empty apartment, she immediately knew she was going to need a dog. Friends shared photos of Lisa, who had recently been rescued from the east, and Drashkaba fell in love with the funny strawberry-blond mutt. Lisa adapted quickly to her life bouncing between Drashkaba's studio, exhibitions and trendy cafes in central Kyiv. She catches the attention of so many passersby that Drashkaba met her now-partner when he stopped to say hello to Lisa. 'I think it's very good that people finally understand that dogs are friends and partners and even maybe more,' she said. Olha Kotlyarska, 29, likes to point out that because of the war, she and her dog, Khvoya, are both on antidepressants. Kotlyarska is a lawyer assisting investigations into alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Khvoya is a shepherd mix who was born in Avdiivka and cared for by Ukrainian troops until volunteers moved her and her siblings to safety in January 2024. Russia seized control of Avdiivka shortly after. Khvoya's adjustment to a more peaceful life in Kyiv has not always been easy. 'In the beginning she was scared of everything and everyone on the street,' Kotlyarska said. With training, medication and love, she's making slow progress. 'It still takes a lot for her to not be in panic mode, and it's still something that we are working on,' Kotlyarska said. 'The saddest dog ever' Russian forces had advanced in the Zaporizhzhia region and were heavily shelling the town of Orikhiv in late 2023 when Ukrainian volunteers drove in, searching for a dog they had been asked to find and rescue. Then a different scruffy black dog ran in front of their car. The volunteers could see he was unwell, with overgrown hair, wounds and a collar digging into his neck. He went running. They chased him into a basement, where they found Ukrainian troops sheltering from Russian attacks. The soldiers helped usher the dog into a crate, and between artillery rounds the volunteers fled with him. Back in Kyiv, Kateryna Lytvynenko, 37, saw a shelter post photos of 'the saddest dog ever.' The human rights adviser at Save the Children had fostered several dogs already, including one her dad adopted. She wanted her own and hoped to find one from her home region of Zaporizhzhia. When she met him, she wept. Here was this abandoned dog, from the front line near where she grew up, hair shaved and with sad brown eyes begging her for a home. She took him home the next day and named him Marko. One week after Marko's adoption, a tiny brown dog was born in the same town on Christmas. Volunteers evacuated the puppy to Kyiv, where so many applications flooded in to take her that 'it was like trying to rent an apartment in a prime location in the center of Kyiv,' recalled Dmytro Kustov, 29, a stretching coach who eventually won out. Born in a desolate place, Kari, whom Kustov calls his 'clever, sneaky little fox,' now attends all his stretching classes and has a wardrobe of miniature winter clothes and boots. 'It's our dog' Days after Russian troops retreated from their bloody assault on the Kyiv region in 2022, Dmytro Slivnyi, 41, was rushing supplies to the besieged areas when he came across a big, lonely dog by the road. When it was time to return home, he called his wife, Oleksandra Berezovska, and told her, 'I'm coming back - but not alone.' The couple, who already had two dogs, washed her, named her Golda and fostered her until a friend adopted her. 'When they left, I said to my husband, 'It's a mistake - it's our dog,'' Oleksandra recalled. When their friend deployed to the front line, Golda ended up back with Dmytro and Oleksandra, and eventually they decided she would stay for good. Around the same time, Ukrainian photojournalist Anastasia Vlasova was documenting the aftermath of Russia's atrocities near Kyiv when her colleague saw a little face poke out from behind a burned-out tank. 'It was definitely the worst time imaginable to get an animal,' admitted Vlasova, 32. Her schedule was packed with assignments. She brought her home that day and named her Javelina, after the U.S. shoulder-mounted anti-tank weapons that helped Ukraine defend Kyiv in 2022. Sometimes, Javelina's traumatic past comes out when she panics from loud noises, like explosions or thunder, that send her into hiding. Vlasova said her strategy is: 'Okay, I'm going to cuddle her.' 'Our moral values' For three years, combat medic Roman, 33, had seen all kinds of pets - dogs, cats, horses, cows, even ostriches and a turtle - abandoned across the front line. One dog his unit took care of for six months died when she stepped on a grenade. So when he was deployed to Russia's Kursk region last August and found a fluffy tricolor dog cowering in an abandoned garden, Roman, who can only be identified by his first name because he remains on active duty, feared going through the pain of losing a war dog again. But when he sent photos to his partner, Nadiia, she said his only home would be with them. Roman's deputy company commander, who had already adopted two cats, approved the dog's staying with Roman's unit until he could evacuate him to Nadiia. The troops initially named the dog Sudzhyk, for Sudzha, the Russian town Ukraine had seized during the operation. But when the dog moved in with Nadiia farther from the front, she renamed him Leo.
Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
A new national duty in Ukraine: Adopting abandoned dogs
Such an arrangement might seem unusual for a foreign minister — but not in wartime Ukraine. Former Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba plays with his rescue dogs, Marik, 3, and Puzan, 3, at his home in Kyiv. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP Russia's invasion has made the security of pets a national priority. Families in front-line towns often flee Russian shelling with multiple pets in tow, and soldiers feed and care for those left behind. Volunteers then risk their lives to evacuate them to safer cities, where they are often adopted into Ukrainian families or sent abroad. The lengths Ukrainian troops and volunteers have gone to rescue vulnerable dogs has spurred a massive cultural shift, transforming Ukraine — once criticized for its treatment of animals — into an extraordinarily dog-friendly country. Gone are stuffy old rules banning pets from many places. Kuleba resigned in 2024, but the Foreign Ministry confirmed that his dog policy remains in place. Advertisement Dogs are also now welcome inside most restaurants, cafes, beauty salons, grocery stores and hotels in major Ukrainian cities. They're often greeted with water bowls and treats or, in some cases, their own menus. And, like Marik the French bulldog, and Kuleba's later rescue, Puzan, who is from the eastern town of Lyman, many of these dogs were rescued from the front lines. In Kyiv's sprawling parks, families now trade notes about their four-legged mutts' hometowns, describing dramatic escapes from war. Advertisement Ukrainians' commitment to saving front-line animals 'literally changed how we as a nation are perceived abroad,' Kuleba said. Here are some stories of the dogs of war. Kulivets with Zhuzha in his apartment in Kyiv. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP 'A basic need' A pack of abandoned dogs roamed the nearly empty village close to the eastern front where Ukrainian soldier Mykola Kulivets was stationed in 2022 — but the smallest, with her long black fur and pointy ears, stood out from the rest. One April morning, she appeared all alone at the door of Kulivets's makeshift base. He fed her a sausage and she never left. He cleaned her dirty, matted fur, named her Zhuzha, let her move inside — and two months later woke up to her giving birth under his cot. The timing could not have been worse: Kulivets's battalion was about to relocate to a village near the front-line city of Avdiivka, and he now had six dogs — including five puppies — in his care. His commander, a dog lover himself, told Kulivets to bring them along. For the rest of the summer, as fierce battles took place mere miles away, the dogs distracted Kulivets and his fellow troops from the horrors of war. 'To have some little one to take care of — I think it's a basic need for every human being,' he said. Related : From afar, Kulivets's mother helped find homes around Ukraine for the four male puppies. His grandparents agreed to adopt the only girl, whom they named Asya. In late August, when the puppies were 2 months old, Kulivets drove to Dnipro to pass them off to his mom — his first time seeing her since he had deployed. He returned to war the same day with only Zhuzha left. Advertisement Elina Sutiahyna with Avdyusha, 2, at her home in a village outside Kyiv. Avdyusha is another son of Zhuzha. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP Back east, Kulivets moved with Zhuzha to the city of Bakhmut, which Russia later destroyed and seized. Under intense shelling, he would hurry her outside for bathroom breaks. His team grew so attached that it named the command center Zhuzha, and her name appeared in official military orders. Kulivets and Zhuzha eventually demobilized, and both have settled into civilian life in Kyiv. 'When my commander calls me, his first question is not about me — it's about Zhuzha,' Kulivets said. In villages outside Kyiv, Elina Sutiahyna, 64, and Nadiia Tkachenko, also 64, friends who ran small kiosks in the same market, heard through volunteers about Zhuzha's front-line puppies who needed homes. Sutiahyna adopted one and named him Avdyusha, after Avdiivka, the city Kulivets's battalion defended. The dog now assists Sutiahyna's husband, who had a stroke, acting 'as his eyes and ears,' she said. Tkachenko took another and named him Archie. 'To me it was important to help an animal from the front line,' she said. 'If you see these videos of soldiers with animals, you can't help but just cry.' Archie is the son of Zhuzha, who gave birth to five puppies at a Ukrainian base near the front line. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP 'It's not normal anymore to buy dogs' Early in the war, Hanna Rudyk, deputy director of Kyiv's Khanenko Museum, left home with her young daughter, Silviia. They moved to Germany, and her husband, Artem, unable to travel due to martial law banning men from leaving the country, stayed behind. Rudyk knew they would eventually return to Kyiv but feared air raid sirens and explosions would traumatize Silviia, who is now 10. Maybe, she thought, a dog would help. But it had to be a rescue — during wartime, she said, 'it's not normal anymore to buy dogs.' Advertisement Then she saw a Facebook post from a volunteer. Troops fighting in the eastern city of Toretsk, since destroyed by Russian artillery, had been caring for a dog who gave birth at their position. The surviving puppies had been evacuated — and one still needed a home. The remaining dog was a white female with brown spots and big pointy ears like a cartoon character. They named her Latka, Ukrainian for 'patch.' Hanna Rudyk and her daughter, Silviia, with 1-year-old Latka, who was rescued by Ukrainian troops in the eastern city of Toretsk. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP Her goofy personality has helped Silviia adjust to life in wartime. When Russian attacks on the capital send them running for cover at night, Silviia and Latka curl up in the hallway and go back to sleep together. Across town, a puppy from a different Toretsk litter was also settling into his new life. Serhii Piatkov, 35, already had one dog — Leonardo, a Russian toy terrier named for the Ninja Turtle – when he started donating about $25 a month to an animal shelter in Kyiv. In July 2024, the shelter held an adoption drive. Piatkov, who runs an advertising firm, stopped by and locked eyes with a black and white border collie mix with freckled legs. Rescued at just a few months old from Toretsk, he was now surrounded by dogs with severe disabilities. The dog looked like he didn't belong, Piatkov thought. A few days later, he took him home. Keeping with the Ninja Turtles theme, he named him Donatello — Doni for short. 'He's my small bear,' he said. Advertisement Serhii Piatkov with Donatello, who he's holding, and Leonardo at his home in Kyiv. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP 'Dogs are friends and partners' Three-year-old Lisa doesn't mind when air raid sirens blare in Kyiv, because that means her owner, Olesya Drashkaba, comes to hide by Lisa's bed in the hallway. Lisa is named for the eastern Ukrainian city where she was born, Lysychansk — which Russian forces seized in 2022. Drashkaba, an artist, was abroad early in the war, but when she moved back to Kyiv and opened her empty apartment, she immediately knew she was going to need a dog. Friends shared photos of Lisa, who had recently been rescued from the east, and Drashkaba fell in love with the funny strawberry-blond mutt. Lisa adapted quickly to her life bouncing between Drashkaba's studio, exhibitions and trendy cafes in central Kyiv. She catches the attention of so many passersby that Drashkaba met her now-partner when he stopped to say hello to Lisa. Lisa, 3, at her owner's studio in Kyiv. Born in the eastern city of Lysychansk, she was rescued as a puppy and relocated to a shelter in Kyiv, where Olesya Drashkaba adopted her. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP 'I think it's very good that people finally understand that dogs are friends and partners and even maybe more,' she said. Olha Kotlyarska, 29, likes to point out that because of the war, she and her dog, Khvoya, are both on antidepressants. Kotlyarska is a lawyer assisting investigations into alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Khvoya is a shepherd mix who was born in Avdiivka and cared for by Ukrainian troops until volunteers moved her and her siblings to safety in January 2024. Russia seized control of Avdiivka shortly after. Khvoya's adjustment to a more peaceful life in Kyiv has not always been easy. Olha Kotlyarska, a lawyer at an international organization investigating crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine, lives in Kyiv with Khvoya. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP 'In the beginning she was scared of everything and everyone on the street,' Kotlyarska said. With training, medication and love, she's making slow progress. 'It still takes a lot for her to not be in panic mode, and it's still something that we are working on,' Kotlyarska said. Advertisement 'The saddest dog ever' Russian forces had advanced in the Zaporizhzhia region and were heavily shelling the town of Orikhiv in late 2023 when Ukrainian volunteers drove in, searching for a dog they had been asked to find and rescue. Then a different scruffy black dog ran in front of their car. The volunteers could see he was unwell, with overgrown hair, wounds and a collar digging into his neck. He went running. They chased him into a basement, where they found Ukrainian troops sheltering from Russian attacks. The soldiers helped usher the dog into a crate, and between artillery rounds the volunteers fled with him. Marko, 8, who was deemed the "saddest dog ever" after his rescue from the front lines, at home in Kyiv. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP Back in Kyiv, Kateryna Lytvynenko, 37, saw a shelter post photos of 'the saddest dog ever.' The human rights adviser at Save the Children had fostered several dogs already, including one her dad adopted. She wanted her own and hoped to find one from her home region of Zaporizhzhia. When she met him, she wept. Here was this abandoned dog, from the front line near where she grew up, hair shaved and with sad brown eyes begging her for a home. She took him home the next day and named him Marko. One week after Marko's adoption, a tiny brown dog was born in the same town on Christmas. Volunteers evacuated the puppy to Kyiv, where so many applications flooded in to take her that 'it was like trying to rent an apartment in a prime location in the center of Kyiv,' recalled Dmytro Kustov, 29, a stretching coach who eventually won out. Born in a desolate place, Kari, whom Kustov calls his 'clever, sneaky little fox,' now attends all his stretching classes and has a wardrobe of miniature winter clothes and boots. Dmytro Kustov with Kari. Kustov is a stretching instructor who brings Kari with him to classes, where she mingles with his students. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP 'It's our dog' Days after Russian troops retreated from their bloody assault on the Kyiv region in 2022, Dmytro Slivnyi, 41, was rushing supplies to the besieged areas when he came across a big, lonely dog by the road. When it was time to return home, he called his wife, Oleksandra Berezovska, and told her, 'I'm coming back — but not alone.' The couple, who already had two dogs, washed her, named her Golda and fostered her until a friend adopted her. 'When they left, I said to my husband, 'It's a mistake — it's our dog,'' Oleksandra recalled. Golda, 4, was adopted by Dmytro Slivnyi and his wife, Oleksandra Berezovska, after she was abandoned in a suburb of Kyiv during the first weeks of Russia's invasion. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP When their friend deployed to the front line, Golda ended up back with Dmytro and Oleksandra, and eventually they decided she would stay for good. Around the same time, Ukrainian photojournalist Anastasia Vlasova was documenting the aftermath of Russia's atrocities near Kyiv when her colleague saw a little face poke out from behind a burned-out tank. 'It was definitely the worst time imaginable to get an animal,' admitted Vlasova, 32. Her schedule was packed with assignments. She brought her home that day and named her Javelina, after the U.S. shoulder-mounted anti-tank weapons that helped Ukraine defend Kyiv in 2022. Sometimes, Javelina's traumatic past comes out when she panics from loud noises, like explosions or thunder, that send her into hiding. Vlasova said her strategy is: 'Okay, I'm going to cuddle her.' Photojournalist Anastasia Vlasova with Javelina at a cafe in Kyiv. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP 'Our moral values' For three years, combat medic Roman, 33, had seen all kinds of pets — dogs, cats, horses, cows, even ostriches and a turtle — abandoned across the front line. One dog his unit took care of for six months died when she stepped on a grenade. So when he was deployed to Russia's Kursk region last August and found a fluffy tricolor dog cowering in an abandoned garden, Roman, who can only be identified by his first name because he remains on active duty, feared going through the pain of losing a war dog again. But when he sent photos to his partner, Nadiia, she said his only home would be with them. Roman's deputy company commander, who had already adopted two cats, approved the dog's staying with Roman's unit until he could evacuate him to Nadiia. The troops initially named the dog Sudzhyk, for Sudzha, the Russian town Ukraine had seized during the operation. But when the dog moved in with Nadiia farther from the front, she renamed him Leo. Roman with his partner, Nadiia, and Leo at their apartment in northwestern Ukraine. Serhiy Morgunov/FTWP Roman is proud to see how Ukrainian soldiers treat the animals they come across, unchaining them, giving them food and shelter. 'The way we treat animals is a marker of societal development, a reflection of our moral values,' he said.
