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PHOTOS: The adorable cats and dogs that have kept Ukrainian troops company in front-line trenches

Nov 24, 2023, 20:43 IST
Business Insider
A cat looks down at a Ukrainian soldier resting in a trench on the front line with Russia backed separatists near Krasnogorivka village, Donetsk region on February 28, 2020.ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images
  • Photos show the dogs and cats Ukrainian soldiers keep as pets on the front lines.
  • Pets have long accompanied troops in war, with some serving important operational roles and others there for morale.
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In the midst of a gruesome conflict, Ukrainian troops have at times found furry friends to keep them company along the front lines.

Photos from the war show cats and dogs joining soldiers in the trenches, accompanying them while scouting for the enemy, or just hanging out in a moment of down time between fights.

A Ukrainian soldier caress a cat while standing guard at a trench in Yasnogorodka village of Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 20, 2022.Dogukan Keskinkilic/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Artyom, a Ukrainian soldier, pets a cat in a trench on the front line on December 12, 2021, in Zolote, Ukraine.Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images

Ukraine is certainly not the first battlefield where soldiers have kept cats, dogs, and other pets. Animals have long provided companionship during wartime.

Some famous examples include Crimean Tom, a Russian tabby cat adopted by British soldiers after the capture of Sevastopol during the 1854-1856 Crimean War. Tom, or a cat thought to be him, is now stuffed and on display at the National Army Museum.

An Ukrainian Military Forces serviceman strokes a dog in a snow covered trench on the frontline with the Russia-backed separatists near Verkhnetoretskoye village, in the Donetsk region on January 31, 2022.ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images
A Ukrainian soldier plays with a cat at a position near the frontline as Ukrainian Army conduct operation to target trenches of Russian forces through the Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on August 08, 2023.Ignacio Marin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A cat sleeps at the front line positions held by the 24th separate mechanized brigade, named after King Danylo, near New York, Donbass, Ukraine on August 08, 2023.Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

In war, some front-line animals, dogs in particular, serve in operational roles. Detection canines, for instance, are trained to sniff out hidden explosives and point them out. That can save the lives of unsuspecting troops on the battlefield, as they did during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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Cats can also be very useful for improving life in trenches, killing rats and pests that would otherwise be a nuisance to soldiers and potentially spread disease and eat rationed food. Russia is currently having a big rat problem in some of its front line trenches — emphasis on big, as the rodents appear to be quite large.

And in past conflicts, other animals like horses and elephants have been carried soldiers, equipment, and weaponry both in the heat of battle and behind the front lines. US government photos show a variety of animals employed during World War II, from mules to even very tiny, adorable puppies.

Ukrainian servicemen of the 128th Mountain assault Brigade at a military training in Dnipropetrovsk region.BERNADETT SZABO/REUTERS
A Ukrainian soldier pets a cat at trench on the front line in the direction of the city of Ugledar, Donetsk, Ukraine as Russia-Ukraine war continues on April 18, 2023.Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A Ukrainian soldier pets a dog hiding in the trench from shelling on February 24, 2023 in Donetsk region, Ukraine.Libkos/Getty Images

But sometimes troops, like those in Ukraine, will adopt pets simply for morale or as mascots, or will simply bring their cats or dogs from home to keep them company.

A new Ukrainian army brigade recruit plays with a dog during a moment of pause in a military exercise conducted by foreign instructor Magnus Ek, 53, in infantry training, combat tactic, shooting range practice and first aid training, in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 27, 2023.REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
A Ukrainian soldier pets a cat at trench on the front line in the direction of the city of Ugledar, Donetsk, Ukraine as Russia-Ukraine war continues on April 18, 2023.Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A stray cat looks for food at a trench as a Ukrainian flag is seen behind in Yasnogorodka village of Kyiv, Ukraine on May 20, 2022.Dogukan Keskinkilic/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

For some Ukrainian troops, pets have come to them, and some others are discovered on the battlefield.

While fighting to reclaim occupied Russian territory, soldiers have discovered abandoned and stray animals. Some, such as a cat named Coke who was rescued from the Coke Plant in Avdiivka, are then taken in by the unit that found them.

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Coke's owner told the Kyiv Post that "he has been in service for almost a year now, and we have made him a member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' feline intelligence. We even made him a badge."

A Ukrainian soldier leans on grad shells as he pets a puppy at his position, far from the frontline near Bakhmut as Ukrainian Army conduct operation to target trenches of Russian forces through the Donetsk Oblast amid Russia and Ukraine war in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on August 8, 2023.Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Coke apparently has some talent for warning soldiers of incoming Russian artillery, too. That's pretty useful in a war like that in Ukraine, where artillery battles have played a dominant role in the fighting.

"Coke seems to be able to sense enemy shelling before it starts and begins to meow, just like an air raid warning. In our experience, many of our animals can sense the approach of artillery strikes," his owner said.

A new Ukrainian army brigade recruit plays with a dog during a moment of pause in a military exercise conducted by foreign instructor Magnus Ek, 53, in infantry training, combat tactic, shooting range practice and first aid training, in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 27, 2023.VIOLETA SANTOS MOURA/REUTERS
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