‘Animals in War’ Film Anthology Tells Stories of Animals and Ecosystems Impacted by Russia’s War on Ukraine

Poster
for
the
film
anthology
Animals
in
War
which
premiered
at
the
Tribeca
Film
Festival
in
New
York
on
June
8,
2025.

The
full-scale

invasion
of
Ukraine
by
Russia
more
than
three
years
ago
and
the
ongoing
war
has
led
to
the
confirmed
deaths
of
thousands
of
people,
displaced
millions
and
caused
millions
more
to
seek
refuge
in
other
countries.

But
it
isn’t
just
humans
who
are
impacted
by
the
war.
Millions
of

animals
—
both

pets
and

wildlife
—
have
been
killed.
In
occupied
and
frontline
regions,
animals
must
try
to
survive
while
facing
stress,
hunger
and
constant
danger.
Their
homes
and

ecosystems
have
been
destroyed
and
polluted,
while
those
who
cared
for
them
have
sought
refuge
in
shelters
or
ended
up
on
the
streets
themselves.

A
Ukrainian-German
film
anthology,

Animals
in
War
tells
the
stories
of
animals
who
have
had
their
lives
turned
inside
out
by
war.
The
seven
short
films
in
the
collection
had
their
world
premiere
at
the
international
independent
Tribeca
Film
Festival
in
New
York
on
June
8.
Most
of
the
stories
were
based
on
true
events.
The
collection
encompasses
various
narrative
styles
and
genres
centered
around
one
common
theme
—
compassion.

All
stills
from
the
film
and
behind-the-scenes
photos
provided
by
the
film’s
press
service.

“Animals
in
War
is
a
poignant
anthology
film
inspired
by
true
stories
of
animals
affected
by
the
war
in
Ukraine.
A
collaboration
between
Ukrainian
and
international
artists
—
including
actor
and
activist
Sean
Penn
—
the
film
serves
as
a
haunting
yet
deeply
moving
call
for
global
awareness
and
empathy,”
Casey
Baron,
a
programmer
with
the
Tribeca
Film
Festival,
wrote
on
the
festival
website.
“Featuring
a
white
rabbit,
a
wolf,
a
cow
and
other
animals
as
central
figures
of
each
story,
the
film
employs
a
range
of
artistic
styles
to
explore
the
war’s
often
overlooked
ecological
impact.
Through
these
powerful
vignettes,

Animals
in
War
is
a
compelling
work
that
highlights
the
widespread
devastation
wrought
by
the
conflict
and
issues
an
urgent
plea
for
compassion,
reflection
and
action.”

Roughly
500
filmmakers
from
Ukraine
and
other
nations
spent
two
years
developing
the
anthology,
which
was
produced
by
Oleksiy
Makukhin
and
Oleg
Kokhan,
a
press
release
for
the
film
said.
Ukrainian
filmmaker
Myroslav
Slaboshpytskyi
directed
the
opening
episode.
Slaboshpytskyi’s
film

The
Tribe
was
featured
at
more
than
100
film
festivals
globally.
The
film’s
soundtrack
features
“Burn
Out”
by
American
band
Imagine
Dragons.

Social
initiative

Save
Pets
of
Ukraine,
which
is
part
of
the
international
nonprofit

U-Hearts
Foundation,
partnered
with
the
project.
U-Hearts
Foundation
was
founded
three
years
ago
by

Kormotech,
a
Ukrainian
pet
food
manufacturer.
The
foundation
collects
donations
from
international
supporters
and
channels
them
toward
animal
welfare
organizations,
volunteers
and
shelters
in
Ukraine
working
to
save
animals
impacted
by
the
war.

“The
way
a
nation
treats
animals
is
a
clear
marker
of
its
level
of
civilization,
and
the
test
of
humanity
that
we
face
daily
reveals
our
values
just
as
much
as
military
victories,”
said
Kokhan,
who
also
created
the
film.
“Our
collaboration
with
Save
Pets
of
Ukraine
and
Kormotech
is
a
vivid
example
of
how
socially
responsible
business
and
the
arts
can
work
together
effectively
to
amplify
these
urgent
topics
and
resonate
with
audiences
around
the
world.”

Public
attention
is
not
often
focused
on
how
much
war
impacts
animals.
Official
statistics
on
animals
in
the
Ukraine
war
are
still
only
available
for
2022.
The
country’s
Ministry
of
Agrarian
Policy
and
Food
estimates
that

approximately
six
million
domestic
animals
perished
in
the
war
that
year.

A
2023

study
by
Kormotech
and
Save
Pets
of
Ukraine
found
that
the
number
of
animals
being
cared
for
by
animal
welfare
volunteers
and
in
shelters
had
surged
since
the
war
began
—
by
100
percent
or
more
in
frontline
shelters,
by
60
percent
among
volunteers
and
by
20
to
30
percent
in
areas
not
directly
on
the
front
lines.

In
2023,
almost
20,000
cats
and
26,000
dogs
were
being
cared
for
by
volunteers
and
in
shelters
in
Ukraine,
and
the
numbers
have
continued
to
rise.

The
destruction
of
ecosystems
has
been
another
devastating
effect
of
the
war.
From
ruined
nature
reserves,
polluted
water
bodies
and
mined
forests,
the
war
has
been
depriving
wildlife
of
their
natural
habitats
while
making
it
impossible
for
many
animals
to
survive.

Animals
in
War
shows
the
war
as
a
humanitarian
as
well
as
an
ecological
disaster
without
borders,
relevant
to
the
whole
world.
The
anthology’s
creators
convey
this
message
through
suffering
animals
caught
in
the
middle
of
a
human
conflict,
rather
than
through
scenes
of
combat.

“Animals
in
War
draws
attention
to
a
crucial
yet
often
overlooked
aspect
of
war
—
its
impact
on
the
environment
and
animal
life,”
said
Rostyslav
Vovk,
co-founder
and
CEO
of
Kormotech.
“For
us,
supporting
the
creation
of

Animals
in
War
is
a
natural
extension
of
our
mission
as
a
pet
food
producer:
to
foster
a
responsible
attitude
toward
animals
and
to
make
their
lives
better.”

As
part
of
the
release
of

Animals
in
War,
Save
Pets
of
Ukraine
has
launched
the
“We
save
animals
—
animals
save
us”
campaign
to
raise
funds
for
the
U-Hearts
Foundation
in
support
of
animals
in
Ukraine.

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