                                                                                                                                                                                                {"id":4056,"date":"2024-11-06T15:11:30","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T13:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/?p=4056"},"modified":"2025-01-21T21:04:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T19:04:16","slug":"the-kupiansk-paradise-diaries-of-a-veterinary-mission-in-kharkiv-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/en\/reportazhi-en\/the-kupiansk-paradise-diaries-of-a-veterinary-mission-in-kharkiv-region\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Kupiansk Paradise\u201d: Diaries of a Veterinary Mission in the Kharkiv Region"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cKupiansk Rai\u201d: several concrete letters have fallen from the district sign, leaving only \u201cRai\u201d [\u201crai\u201d means \u201cparadise\u201d in Ukrainian, while the original word on the sign was \u201cRaion,\u201d meaning \u201cdistrict\u201d]. It\u2019s hard to imagine anything more ironic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flags flutter in the wind. Fading inscriptions left by passersby shimmer on the painted concrete. The wind blows in our faces. My fellow veterinarians step out of the vehicle, and the dogs follow \u2014 beautiful Lyman and impossibly funny Ritchie. I capture them all on camera. A minute later, we\u2019re back in the cars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We dive beneath a tilted railway bridge; pieces hang over the road like something out of a movie with explosions and high-quality CGI. The car veers onto a dirt road, jostling us as clouds of dust rise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At one point, the car dips down, leaving a few weary soldiers behind on the side \u2014 and I see water all around. Rusted remnants of the bridge jut up from the depths like the spine and ribs of a skeleton. Oskil [River]? I pull out my phone, recording a few seconds, but all that\u2019s visible is dust, and all that\u2019s audible is a tune on the radio, \u201cYour heart will tell you, for it has sight. It\u2019s him! It\u2019s him for sure!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together with the veterinary team, we head toward Kivsharivka, where they will sterilize and treat animals. Thus begins the diary of these eight incredible, smoke-filled days.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dym-podoly-1-1-1.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\"><\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Characters:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Nataliya Sokolova (Natalka) \u2014 Head of the Accessible Sterilization project, veterinarian.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Lolita Polishchuk (Lola) \u2014 Veterinary assistant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Yuliya Tkachenko \u2014 Veterinarian.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Roman Bidnenko (Roma) \u2014 Animal catcher.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Oleksandr Pohrebnyi (Sasha) \u2014 Driver of the UAnimals veterinary vehicle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Olha Slynko (Olya) \u2014 Volunteer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Andriy Kharchyshyn (Andriy) \u2014 Manager of the UAnimals rescue department.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Liliya Florynska (Lilya) \u2014 Animal welfare volunteer from Kupiansk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Ranok the Dog.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Village Council Head Vasyl Bokov \u2014 Head of the Osynovo Village Council.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o \u00a0 Aunt Valya, Zina, and others.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2><b>Tuesday, September 3<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The car sways wildly between the pale chalk hills, the landscape resembling a sliced Kyiv cake.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ahead, the Kivsharivka sign appears, painted blue and yellow. The flag flutters on it, too, though faded to a lavender hue. We head a bit south to the first spot where the mobile clinic will be set up \u2014 the village of Novoosynove.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n                    <div class=\"swiper sliderSwiper\">\n                        <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                                                     <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Kivsharivka3-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/kivsharivka1.webp)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/kivsharivka2-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/koty-kivsharivky-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At 2:02 p.m., we arrive. The unknown soldier [Soviet-era monuments present in virtually every village] bows slightly under an old birch tree. We park the veterinary vehicle there, hanging branches around it for cover, and carry our supplies into an abandoned outpatient clinic. In one of the rooms, military call signs and code words are pinned up. I drop my backpack there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The clinic wall has a gaping hole, and beside it, a rose bush blooms. The roof is shattered, and torn wires dangle like garlands here and there. I walk further in. Shattered windows reveal smiles of jagged shards, and blackened streaks make it appear as if something hot has scraped the building.\u00a0 The fence is scrawled with messages for the enemy. Finally, I see people \u2014 women sitting on benches surrounded by cats. <em>\u201cAre you a volunteer? I\u2019d like to speak with you.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I barely manage to explain the type of our volunteer mission before the women start sharing stories about their animals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cWho wrote on the fence?\u201d<\/em> I ask.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, Valya wrote it while Kostya dictated. She really shouldn\u2019t have! There are four mistakes in every word.\u201d<\/span><\/em>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/korabyl.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\"><\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the way back, I indeed spot the inscription, \u201cruskiy korabil.\u201d When I return, Roma, the animal catcher, has just arrived from his first round. Dogs and cats \u201cspill\u201d from the car like out of the mitten [reference to a Ukrainian fairy tale]. Well, it just seems that way \u2014 they\u2019re actually secured in cages. These are strays that will be spayed, neutered, and treated for parasites.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One puppy is too small for a cage, so it was let to wander on the grass, waddling between the cages with little, wobbly steps. Wobble-wobble, wobble-wobble.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cWe\u2019ll vaccinate this one soon,\u201d<\/em> says Natalka. <em>\u201cLet\u2019s get it on video. Can you hold it\u2026?\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cI just need to grab my mic,\u201d<\/em> I say, but I can\u2019t bring myself to set the puppy down.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cHand it over here; I\u2019ll hold it,\u201d<\/em> offers Andriy, our manager.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I start to feel a pang of jealousy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cWhy don\u2019t you two go together?\u201d<\/em> Natalka suggests, ending the debate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I hurry to the clinic to fetch my mic, still holding the pup. The little one shivers like an aspen leaf but obediently sits on the couch while I search for the equipment. Once ready, we vaccinate and microchip him. I capture the process on film and already feel like I\u2019ll never let this pup go.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ranok-malyy.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\">The first puppy vaccinated during the mission in journalist's hands<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, Natalka, Lola, and Yulia begin sedating the animals in the cages and starting the surgeries. Later, these cats and dogs will be vaccinated for rabies and treated for parasites. Roma and volunteer Olya are preparing for the next round of captures. I grab my camera and barely manage to jump in the car with them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cTurn around so it doesn\u2019t see me!\u201d<\/em> seems to be the mantra of the day. Roma shouts it to everyone helping bring a cat or dog to the car. He holds that if the animal doesn\u2019t see the catcher, he can safely take it from its owner and quickly place it in a cage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We gather cats around Novoosynove and Kivsharivka. Some people hand them over; others, Roma catches with a special trap cage baited with fragrant kibbles. Some are caught barehanded, while others need a net. By dusk, we\u2019re back with 18 cats in cages.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n                    <div class=\"swiper sliderSwiper\">\n                        <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                                                     <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/DSCF6799235-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\">Catcher at work<\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/DSCF6860235-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/vidlov-18-kotiv-1-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The veterinarians finish their surgeries: 15 animals sterilized on the first day. It may not seem like much, but we still have plenty of time ahead.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The frontline rumbles, making it impossible to sleep in the clinic tonight. We gather our things and head to the basement of a five-story building. The building seems empty, but suddenly, a woman materializes near the entrance with a bicycle. <em>\u201cYou all need a place to wash up! There\u2019s an empty, bombed-out apartment with a water supply. The soldiers used to go there to bathe. Oh, how long we have lived with them here! They left at one point, then returned because they were afraid Aunt Valya wasn\u2019t around anymore. But here I am. They meet me, they wheel my bicycle up\u2026 Second floor, there\u2019s a spoon sticking out of the lock.\u201d<\/em><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2><b>Wednesday, September 4<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the morning, I head out again with Roma, the animal catcher, and Olya. Roma drives, while Olya keeps tabs on requests coming from Andriy and occasionally Natalka, jotting them down in her notebook and managing calls on her phone. After returning animals to their owners in Novoosynove, we set off to the village of Podoly to follow up on more requests. We bump along the dirt road like wandering Bedouins on camels, the air thick with smoke.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Roman-Olia-1.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\">Roman and Olya<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Podoly, we\u2019re met by Zina, a local volunteer who shelters abandoned dogs and knows where others might be found. She\u2019s essentially our diplomatic envoy in this village. Zina hops into the car and confidently extends her tanned finger from the window, directing us.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our first stop is with a woman picking up her already-sterilized dog, Pushynka. The woman cries with joy when she receives her dog and again when handing over Pushynka\u2019s puppies for sterilization. <em>\u201cYou\u2019ll bring them back tomorrow, right?\u201d<\/em><\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/DSCF7118235-1.webp\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\">Pushynka\u2019s puppies<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our car crawls over sand dunes left by military vehicles, reaching a neighborhood where many residents remain.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cWhere\u2019s your other cat?\u201d<\/em> one woman asks. <em>\u201cMy comadre is still trying to catch her,\u201d<\/em> another replies. <em>\u201cThose are my cats,\u201d<\/em> waves a woman in a snow-white headscarf. <em>\u201cThey\u2019re displaced. They used to live in the military\u2019s house over there, but then they came to me. A cat and three kittens. The soldiers left, and nobody was feeding them.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Nichka-liudy-Podoly-1-1-1.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\"><\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our conversations with people go smoothly until we arrive at the home of some local drinkers, where dogs cluster outside. Despite our diplomatic envoy doing her best, we couldn\u2019t break through the wall of incomprehension. A man and woman shout and tell us, along with Zina, to go away. We manage to take only one dog for sterilization.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Today, we sterilized 46 animals and distributed rabies vaccines and parasite treatments \u2014 items unavailable for purchase here.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/DSCF6886235-2-1-1.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\">Nataliya Sokolova<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2><b>Thursday, September 5<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emerging from the basement, my eyes take a while to adjust to the light.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A rumble starts: two helicopters soar overhead, their heavy bellies skimming above me, only to return minutes later. I spot blue and yellow insignias. Hopefully, they accomplished what they set out to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everything around is humming and vibrating. At the mobile clinic, our first client is Simka, a cat brought in by an older man, Oleksandr Vasylovych. He tells us he has another cat, Bilka, along with three kittens. Maybe we can catch and vaccinate them? We head to his yard together.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/did.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\">Simka and Oleksandr Vasylovych<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the grapevines, the kittens huddle on the seat of an old rusted moped.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cI could leave here,\u201d<\/em> Oleksandr Vasylovych laments.<em> \u201cI\u2019d let my little dog go. But what about these ones? I\u2019m in a deadlock! I don\u2019t know what to do with them! I\u2019ve got nowhere to go, let alone take them. If I leave, it would be to the Sumy region. But they\u2019re not wanted there.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We manage to catch two and carry them back. Another cat comes out. <em>\u201cMurchyk, come along! Today\u2019s my birthday. I didn\u2019t know since there\u2019s no power, and then I charged my phone and saw that it was today.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, locals continue arriving at the mobile clinic, some women bringing cats quite literally in sacks. Everyone discusses last night\u2019s shelling in Kivsharivka. One shell hit the bus station near the kiosk where we bought food yesterday.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n                    <div class=\"swiper sliderSwiper\">\n                        <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                                                     <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/zhinky-z-mishkom.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/kivsharivka-obstril1-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/obstril3-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/obstril2-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/kivsharivka-obstril-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By late morning, I set out with Roma again to Kivsharivka and Podoly. After the strikes, the smoke was thicker. The bus station is blackened and destroyed, and patches of grass are still smoldering.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At 12:01 p.m., one of the busiest episodes of the veterinary mission begins. After returning sterilized animals to Podoly, we set off to locate a collapsed house rumored to be sheltering seven puppies. All feral, and they need to be caught to vaccinate them.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n                    <div class=\"swiper sliderSwiper\">\n                        <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                                                     <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/podoly1-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/podoly4-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/podoly5-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We finally locate the place: a sieve instead of a fence, and the house missing an entire wall. Piles of bricks cover the ground, while shelves stocked with canned food and household items are visible inside. Roma and I enter what used to be the kitchen \u2014 it\u2019s dark and disorderly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We shine our flashlights around but manage to locate only two puppies. The others dart under a gap in the floorboards, and the next 20 minutes are filled with dust and chaotic scurrying. Roma uses some kind of a rod to pry up the floor, reaching into the holes to grab the puppies by hand. They whimper, but eventually, we catch them all.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/zruynovanyy-1.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\">Roma pries up the floor to grab the puppies<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back in Novoosynove, I set off on foot to find another store. A dull thud echoes in the distance. At an intersection, a burnt car lies under a wooden sign labeled \u201cStore\u201d with an arrow pointing left. I follow it. The houses along the way have warped walls, and on one, with relatively fresh pink paint, someone has scrawled, \u201cGlory to Ukraine, death to enemies!\u201d<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/mahaz.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\"><\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cDo you have any bread?\u201d<\/em> I ask.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo bread delivery today. Tomorrow.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apart from bread, they seem to have everything else.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>By day\u2019s end, we had operated on 37 animals, most of which were captured strays. We continued distributing parasite treatments.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the sun sets, I step outside to take in the village. Tended but empty gardens stretch before me. Corn and unharvested tomatoes. Marigolds bloom everywhere.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2><b>Friday, September 6<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re at a new location, though the village name isn\u2019t much different \u2014 Osynovo, now on the right bank of the Oskil. Once again, we set up the mobile clinic near the village council and community center, where a crowd has already gathered. Some wait with cats and dogs for sterilization, while others simply want to chat. They sit beside us on the bench, talking, and talking, and talking\u2026 The common theme for everyone here is their dogs and cats.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Osynovo.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\"><\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Midday, soldiers bring in a dog named Sandy, who resembles a husky, for sterilization.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cShe\u2019s our sister in arms,\u201d<\/em> says Sasha, a soldier, squinting in the sun. <em>\u201cShe\u2019s been with us in the dugouts, the trenches\u2026 always hiding with us in the shelters. She\u2019s been with us since she was a pup.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roman turns to me and asks, <em>\u201cShall we head to the dump?\u201d<\/em> I nod, <em>\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The local dump is said to be a goldmine for catching stray animals. We arrive during the golden hour when everything is bathed in the warm glow of the low sun. Golden-tinted trash blankets the hills.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n                    <div class=\"swiper sliderSwiper\">\n                        <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                                                     <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/mashyna-vetmisii-pole-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Roma-na-musortsi-1-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/musorka1-2-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re followed by a man of remarkable erudition: <em>\u201cI know three languages,\u201d<\/em> he declares, <em>\u201cUkrainian, russian, and Romani! And here\u2019s my dog. Bomba, come here!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our trip to the dump is only partially successful; we manage to pick up just one dog there and another on the way back.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>But today, more owners have started bringing their animals for sterilization. Altogether, we sterilize 59 cats and dogs: 33 brought in by their owners, with the rest from our animal catching rounds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/DSCF6904235-1-1.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\">Lolita Polishchuk<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We settle in for the night at the village community center. The head of the village council brings us blankets; I lay mine beneath a poster of a Soviet soldier. There\u2019s no Wi-Fi or phone signal here, so to catch an internet connection from the Starlink, we have to step onto the council\u2019s porch. However, the community center houses a small library with relatively modern books. A red-painted sign above reads, \u201cKupiansk District! Our homeland.\u201d<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2><b>Saturday, September 7<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cI brought seven cats from Kupiansk,\u201d<\/em> says volunteer Yulia, setting seven carriers in a row. <em>\u201cI collected them from people who can\u2019t bring them here for sterilization on their own. Many people have left, abandoning their animals, who can\u2019t fend for themselves. I\u2019ve taken in one cat and four dogs. Some others, we go and feed.\u201d<\/em><\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n                    <div class=\"swiper sliderSwiper\">\n                        <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                                                     <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/koty.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/klinika-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/DSCF7368-1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pes.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/sobaky.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, animals are brought in from Kupiansk, a soldier and a few villagers come by. Later in the afternoon, I head to Kupiansk myself with Roman. We\u2019re not alone: volunteer Lilia joins us, her notebook filled with addresses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cHow\u2019s veterinary care here?\u201d<\/em> I ask. <em>\u201cNonexistent,\u201d<\/em> Lilia replies. <em>\u201cIt\u2019s been about ten months without any help. Sometimes, people contact veterinarians in Kharkiv online or take animals themselves to Chuhuiv or Kharkiv. There used to be a clinic in Shevchenkove, but it\u2019s gone too. Now, it\u2019s only phone consultations.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>By the end of the day, the vets sterilized 67 cats and dogs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2><b>Sunday, September 8<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cThis here is Sofa. She\u2019s a sweetheart, never causes trouble,\u201d<\/em> a local woman, a mother of three, tells me about her dog. <em>\u201cEither way, she needs to be sterilized. It\u2019s better for the dog and for us \u2014 otherwise, we\u2019d have way too many dogs. I also have Lyalya. When the explosions are close, they run everywhere, barking. Sofa sleeps under my car because she\u2019s scared of explosions.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The wait is long, and soon, the woman shifts to sharing memories of the occupation.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n                    <div class=\"swiper sliderSwiper\">\n                        <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                                                     <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/prystin-SOfa.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/prystin-liudy.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                <div class=\"slider-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <div class=\"slider-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/prystin1.jpg)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    <p class=\"description\"><\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/arrow-sl.svg\"><\/div>\n                        <div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cThey took everyone to the basements, forced us to sing the russian anthem. Some made it out; some didn\u2019t. It was terrifying when planes flew over the rooftops. At first, I\u2019d huddle in a corner, clutching my head\u2026 I don\u2019t know how I managed to pull myself together. It took them a long time to push them out of the woods. Now that our troops are here, it\u2019s not as scary. God forbid it happens again.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A clear autumn sky with thin, transparent clouds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Prystin, the third village on our route. Here, too, we\u2019ve set up the mobile clinic beside the village council and community center. Beneath a bench, a neat pile of shell fragments is stacked \u2014 smooth metal with jagged, torn edges.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At 5:37 p.m., the air thickens with smoke. The first puppy vaccinated during the mission sleeps, unbothered by any explosions. In Osynovo, I\u2019ve already named him Ranok [\u201cMorning\u201d]. Some people sit \u201cunder the Starlink,\u201d trying to pick up a signal. Andriy is on the phone with UAnimals manager Nastya: <em>\u201c<\/em><\/span><em><b>I\u2019ll text you every hour, \u2018All good, all good.\u2019<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/em>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Sasha-z-Rankom.webp\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\">Sasha and Ranok<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This reassurance is necessary because it was whistling and falling nearby recently. We ducked behind a wall, though who knows what good it would\u2019ve done.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just afterward, our driver Sasha calls out, <em>\u201cDrone!\u201d<\/em> and we crouch near a birch for a few minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I see people outside the village tying three cows to graze. The young women continue their surgeries while Roman is on a capture round.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/korova.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\"><\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the evening, the village council head stops by again.<\/span> <em>\u201cThat drone dropped something near my house. There was some kind of another thing,\u00a0 it fell in a woman\u2019s yard. I\u2019ll go visit her and tell you what that was. Will this one here turn out like marble?\u201d<\/em> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He nods at Ranok, who indeed has a reddish coat with faint marbled patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The veterinarians work late as usual: today, they\u2019ve operated on 41 animals.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To keep the light use minimal, only the vet van stays illuminated. Once that light goes out, everything is swallowed by thick darkness. Only the sky over Kivsharivka continues to flash.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2><b>Monday, September 9<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Early in the morning, something hit nearby again. I hear the village head on the phone, asking, <em>\u201cCould you bring a couple of canisters of water, at least? There was a strike, and we don\u2019t want the fire spreading to the sunflowers&#8230;\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s the second-to-last day, so, together with Andriy, the manager, we record a video summarizing our efforts. He holds the shaggy Lyman in his arms. <em>\u201cThe Grads [MLRS] last night were memorable,\u201d<\/em> Andriy says with a half-smile.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>But it\u2019s time to take stock for real: the vet mission has provided aid to 390 animals, most of them strays.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tonight, there are few stars, but the moon is visible. It\u2019s waxing but no longer a thin crescent. Its broader shape glows in the sky \u2014 a strange, blood-red hue.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/DSCF7015.webp\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\"><\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2><b>Tuesday, September 10<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We pack up, load Ranok into the car, and begin the slow drive back to Kharkiv with Sasha in the vet van. The veterinarians, Roma, and Andriy take a second van. The vet van has some mechanical issues, so we can only drive in second gear, giving us ample time to take in the sights of the Kharkiv region \u2014 beautiful and smoke-filled. russian radio occasionally breaks through the static.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Sasha-1.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\">Sasha in the vet van<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Kharkiv, I stop by a pet store, buy a dog carrier, and head home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We arrive in Kyiv that evening, all of us \u2014 the veterinarians, Andriy, Sasha, and us with the dog.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just before arrival, I text Natalka: <em>\u201cHow are you?\u201d<\/em> <em>\u201cAll\u2019s well,\u201d<\/em> she replies, sending a photo from the van with a glass in hand. <em>\u201cCelebrating life.\u201d<\/em> And the little \u201cmarbled\u201d dog is giving me a hard time to finish this text.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;]\n        <div class=\"single-picture\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/DSCF7070-1.jpg\">\n            <div class=\"info\">\n                <p class=\"title\"><\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        [\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;2264&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; onclick=&#8221;custom_link&#8221; link=&#8221;https:\/\/uanimals.org\/en\/how-to-help\/&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\u201cKupiansk Rai\u201d: several concrete letters have fallen from the district sign, leaving only \u201cRai\u201d [\u201crai\u201d means \u201cparadise\u201d in Ukrainian, while the original word on the sign was \u201cRaion,\u201d meaning \u201cdistrict\u201d]. It\u2019s hard to imagine anything more ironic. Flags flutter in the wind. Fading inscriptions left by passersby shimmer on the painted concrete. The wind blows [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4042,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[62,96,60,143,74,94,66,95],"topic":[28],"class_list":["post-4056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reportazhi-en","tag-koty-en","tag-dogs","tag-viyskovi-en","tag-sterilisation","tag-viyna-en","tag-bezprytulni-en","tag-sobaky-en","tag-sterylizatsiia-en","topic-vriatovani-i-nebayduzhi-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Diaries of a Veterinary Mission in Kharkiv Region<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The first UAnimals veterinary mission chronicles. 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