The dogs of war: Ukrainian pets caught in the chaos of Russian violence | Photo Diary

One month ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to take the next step amid the simmering tensions with Ukraine and declared war on Europe's second-largest country. Acting upon the orders, Russian forces started an all-out invasion of Ukraine, dropping shells, bombs and missiles targeting military facilities.

But as Ukrainian civilians - men between the ages of 18 to 60 years - turned into soldiers to protect their motherland, Russian missiles started attacking buildings, monuments and even schools. Those who didn't qualify to fight - women, kids and senior citizens - had no option but to flee their country to escape the war.

Millions of civilians have fled Ukraine as Russia continues to unleash a deadly offensive, leaving behind a trail of deaths and destruction. The war, which started more than one month ago after Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" to "denazify" Ukraine, has so far destroyed more than 1,000 buildings and killed at least 977 civilians.

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More than ten million people have now fled their homes in Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Of these ten million people, at least 3.8 million have flown to neighbouring countries, while 6.5 million have been internally displaced.

THE DOGS OF WAR

Forced to leave their homes, loved ones and belongings behind, one thing which Ukrainians refuse to leave amid the ongoing crisis is their pets. Not just humans, the war has also upended life for animals in Ukraine.

Images from Ukraine and its nearby borders show civilians holding onto their pets, fleeing the war-torn country on trains, buses and even on foot in a desperate attempt to find refuge.

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An injured dog is seen at the ADA foundation centre in Przemysl, southeastern Poland, Monday, March 28, 2022.

More than two million Ukrainians have crossed the border to Poland ferrying dogs, cats, parrots and turtles to safety. While there are images that show the bond between humans and pets, heartbreaking pictures from the war-torn nation throw light on how war has affected helpless strays.

The evacuation of the animals was dangerous but was made possible due to the efforts and cooperation of several animal rights groups and Ukrainian refugees.

For animals left behind in the war-hit nation, several organisations and even civilians, who continue to stay in Ukraine, have been working around the clock to provide them with food and shelter as war rages on.

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A man carries a dog to cross a destroyed bridge as he evacuates the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, on March 8, 2022. - More than two million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion less than two weeks ago, the United Nations said on March 8, 2022.

A Ukrainian refugee woman sits in a wheelchair and holds her dog aboard a ferry going to Romania at the border point Isaccea-Orlovka between Romania and Ukraine, Isaccea.

A man take pictures of dogs while he visits the "Home for Rescued Animals" shelter in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 28, 2022. - At the "Home for Rescued Animals" in the city of Lviv exotic creatures are now sheltered alongside everyday pets - those left behind in the rush of refugees fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Shelter manager Orest Zalypskyy estimates his shelter has taken in 1,500 animals since the war began, from migrants and shelters in "hot spots" to the east.

Veterinary doctor Jakob Kotowicz, left, and his assistant treat a broken leg of a dog in a water bath at the ADA foundation centre in Przemysl, southeastern Poland, Monday, March 28, 2022. Amid the exodus of more than 2.2 million Ukrainian refugees to Poland who fled the Russian invasion are the pet lovers who could not leave their animals behind.

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Veterinary doctor Redeslew Fediczynsk treats a goat at the ADA foundation centre in Przemysl, southeastern Poland, Monday, March 28, 2022.

A young refugee couple fleeing Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine carries its cat as they arrive by train from Kyiv at the main train station in Lviv, Ukraine, March 28, 2022.

A woman with dogs walks next to a destroyed bridge during the evacuation from Irpin town, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine March 28, 2022.

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A dog looks at a person holding a plate of food as they wait for transport after fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at a border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia.

A woman leashes dogs while sitting by the fire outside a building that was damaged during the Ukraine-Russia conflict in the separatist-controlled town of Volnovakha in the Donetsk region, Ukraine March 13, 2022.