Many Ukrainians fleeing the war are finding comfort in the pets they've brought along

• Many of the Ukrainians who've fled the war have brought their pets with them.
• More than three million Ukrainians have left their country since Russia invaded in late February.

PRZEMYSL, Poland — Sitting on a train near the Ukraine border in Przemysl, Poland, waiting for it to depart en route to Berlin, Irina found comfort in the two cats she brought from her home in war-torn Kharkiv.

She carried the cats in a basket on the more than 700-mile journey.

As one of the cats crawled all over Irina, she told Insider that she had no desire to be seen as a refugee. She's a chef, and just wants to work. Irina did not offer her last name. Like many Ukrainians who've fled the war, Irina left family behind. Her husband is still in Ukraine – waiting to see if he'll be drafted. She was accompanied by her two young sons: Rostyslav, 10, and Volodymyr, 6.

"Pray for Ukraine," Irina said in a message directed to the wider world.

Many Ukrainians fleeing into nearby countries like Poland and Hungary have brought their pets with them. Their furry friends have also become refugees as a result of Russia's unprovoked war, joining their owners on taxing and dangerous treks out of Ukraine.

Zenaida Matsnieva fled Zaporizhzhia, where Russia attacked Europe's largest nuclear plant earlier this month, with seven family members and her dog, Moli. On the way to Lviv, in western Ukraine, their train was stopped because of an air raid siren — filling her family, packed into a car with 250 people, with fear. After traveling for over a week, Matsnieva and her family made it to a train station in Lublin, Poland.

Many refugees and their pets have faced similar and difficult circumstances.

Marina, from Kyiv, fled on Saturday after her home was struck with a bomb fragment.

Speaking to Insider from the Keleti train station in Budapest, Marina said that her family traveled with a dog, cat, and 6-month-old boy through Slovakia to Hungary. They will now go to Munich, Germany. Marina, who also did not provide a last name, said they don't know anybody there but heard that it's welcoming to refugees.

So many pets have joined the more than three million Ukrainians that have left their country that volunteers have begun offering free veterinary services at border crossings and transit hubs in Poland. Hungarian volunteer groups assisting refugees have posted to social media asking people to donate dog and cat crates. The EU has strongly advised member states to lift any pet-related travel restrictions for Ukrainian refugees.

Victoria, her three children, and their dog Stacia left Hostomel, Ukraine on March 3 after bombs and gunfire erupted nearby. "She's like a child," Victoria said of Stacia while speaking to Insider in Budapest. "She travels along with us all the time," adding that the dog is "very naughty."

"She started to be naughty during the war because she's traveling and she's scared," Victoria said. The family is traveling from Budapest to Portugal, where Victoria, a teacher, hopes to find work.

Marina Shaffit provided translation services in Hungary and Marta Yatsenko provided translation services in Poland.