Kyiv woman adopts kitten rescued from under rubble after Russian attack – photos
Diana Solovei from Kyiv adopted a two-month-old kitten injured in a Russian attack on the city on 17 June 2025. A photo of the kitten, rescued from under the rubble by emergency workers, spread widely on social media.
Source: Diana Solovei, speaking to Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia (Life)
Details: Diana, who already owns a 10-year-old cat named Fifi, wanted another pet.
Quote from Diana: "Last Tuesday, when I was going to work after another attack, I saw a photo from Ukrinform of an emergency worker holding a tiny kitten. I immediately felt that this was exactly the pet I wanted to take in.
I began to actively search for information, leaving comments under posts by animal rights activists wherever I saw this photo, because it instantly spread across social media. By the end of the day, I was sent a link to the page of Kateryna, who had temporarily taken her in."
Details: It later turned out that Kateryna’s parents lived in the affected building. She had taken in the kitten, found crying in the courtyard.
She said it was not the same kitten as the one in the photo, but possibly its sister, since it was also a girl. That cat had likely been adopted, but this one still did not have a home.
Initially, Kateryna thought the photographed kitten had been adopted, but a "small investigation" confirmed it was the same animal.
This is how Diana adopted Kiara, named after the Italian word for "light". The kitten, likely a stray living in the basement of a house on Václav Havel Boulevard, was rescued from the ruins of a building where a couple anxiously awaited news of their son trapped under the rubble.
Quote: "The road was stressful for Kiara – she cried a lot and was nervous in the carrier, screaming. When I brought her home, I had to treat her for fleas first. After bathing, she calmed down a little, but in the evening, she hid in a box from a treadmill. She hid there and didn't want to come out."
More details: Kiara had a burnt nose, sooty eyes and ears and singed whiskers. Veterinary treatment saved her eyes and she received necessary care and medication. Exhausted and weighing only 600 grams at the time, she is now recovering well.
"Kiara is already rushing around the house, starting to come into my arms, running after me with her tail, like she realised I was her new ‘mum’. She enjoys playing with toys. Ahead lies adaptation, meeting Fifi and lots of love," Solovei concluded.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!