War-stricken pets await new life at Kyiv shelter

Veterinarian Nataliya Mazur (left) and an employee examining a dog in a temporary animal shelter in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv recently. Photo: AFP

Ukrainian vet Nataliya Mazur cradles Murzik, a big green-eyed tabby, in her arms at a makeshift animal rescue shelter in Kyiv.

The three-year-old cat comes from Bucha, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital now synonymous with alleged Russian war crimes since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine nearly four months ago.