emerged as an unlikely survivor of war's devastation in Ukraine Rescued by Ukrainian troops from a shattered zoo, Yampil's story is draws attention to the often-overlooked animal victims in human conflicts. As the BBC reports Yampil was initially found concussed and underweight a poignant embodiment of the toll of war not just on humans but also on wildlife The road to recovery for Yampil was not straightforward. From his rescue in 2022, he underwent a remarkable journey across Europe, the Associated Press reports he was evacuated to Poland and then spent seven months recuperating in Belgium's Nature Help Center Yampil's resilience shone through; he recovered to a healthy 440 pounds and demonstrated remarkable calmness throughout his rehabilitation Yampil's arrival at the Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder marked a significant chapter in his journey known for its distinctive white chest crescent settled into his new home with a meal of cucumbers and watermelon which has a history of rescuing animals from diverse backgrounds including circuses and roadside attractions the first animal they have sheltered from a war zone Integrating Yampil into his new environment is a task approached with care and sensitivity. Given his traumatic past, zoo staff must be vigilant for signs of PTSD, while also offering him the comfort and safety he needs, The Independent reports According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty the zoo has been committed to providing him with a stable and nurturing environment His adaptation to the Scottish climate and whether he will hibernate remain subjects of interest and care Yampil's story transcends his individual experience a vulnerable species with declining wild populations represents the broader challenges facing wildlife conservation efforts like these not only rescue individual animals but also draw attention to the plight of species under threat in the wild we find a symbol of survival and hope amidst chaos and destruction His journey from a war-torn zoo to a Scottish sanctuary is not just a testament to human compassion but also a reminder of our responsibility to all living beings affected by our actions his story continues to inspire and educate shedding light on the often unseen victims of human conflict Matthew Russell is a West Michigan native and with a background in journalism He likes to learn new things and solve old problems whenever possible Provide food and vital supplies to shelter pets at The Animal Rescue Site for free "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement" by Benjamin Nathans which covers dissent in the Soviet Union and Russia today Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 5 announced they had facilitated Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash's escape from Russia to France after she fled house arrest on April 21 (Updated: May 6, 2025 6:22 am)Ukraine's drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." A Russian drone attack on Odesa Oblast on May 5 killed one and caused damage to local infrastructure "We appreciate that Germany plays a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine throughout the years of war Ukraine is also grateful for your personal commitment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5 Far-right Euroskeptic candidate George Simion head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan placed second with 20.99% of the vote and the candidate from the ruling coalition "It requires the continuation of contacts between Moscow and Washington which have been launched and are now ongoing," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said set to operate within the Council of Europe will focus on Russia's political and military leaders by Elsa Court, The Kyiv Independent news deskYampil the bear (Five Sisters Zoo / Facebook).Yampil a bear that was evacuated from a zoo in Donetsk Oblast in 2022 has died after not waking up from anesthesia Five Sisters Zoo in Scotland announced on July 13 The Asian black bear was rescued from an abandoned zoo on the outskirts of the village of Yampil in Donetsk Oblast when Ukrainian forces liberated the village in October 2022 Yampil was one of the only animals left alive in the park and was found starving He was initially housed at a wildlife refuge in Belgium and was then rehomed to Five Sisters Zoo in January 2024 Five Sisters Zoo said in a statement that a "wonderful new habitat had just been completed for him." "Prior to the move to his new enclosure this morning Yampil was anesthetized for further treatment for his health problems anesthetizing animals always carries risks and Yampil did not recover from the procedure and despite the best efforts from our veterinary team we were unable to resuscitate him," Five Sisters Zoo said Five Sisters Zoo has previously rehomed animals from circuses Five Sisters Zoo in West Lothian is building an enclosure for the animal who was traumatised when a Russian shell destroyed his zoo last year Less than a year earlier, Yampil had been only a few days from death when he was found by Ukrainian troops in the ruins of an abandoned zoo in the town near Donetsk that gave him his name. But following his traumatic ordeal, the asiatic black bear appeared to show no scars of the shelling that destroyed his habitat or the Russian occupation that killed almost all of the 200 other zoo animals. The Five Sisters zookeepers were pleased to find a healthy bear chomping merrily on a cucumber when they arrived at his temporary home at the Natuurhulpcentrum rescue centre in eastern Belgium – a world away from the videos they had seen of Yampil, dirty and concussed after a shell landed near his enclosure, being carried through the rubble on a tarpaulin by soldiers. Garry Curran, the head of carnivores, said: “Bears can often suffer mental health problems after going through a traumatic experience, and so it was really important we understood Yampil and what to expect from him. Read more“Although he appeared a little nervous at first he seems to have adapted surprisingly well and didn’t actually show any concerning stress-related behaviours He seems to be a calm and gentle individual said: “If one animal deserves a good and better future We’re very grateful they can offer Yampil the future he deserves.” Yampil’s thick fur and cartoonish ears are likely to make him a favourite at the Scottish zoo where preparations are under way for his arrival at his temporary enclosure in the coming weeks making him the first Ukrainian zoo refugee to arrive in the UK The zoo agreed to take him several months ahead of the original schedule of early 2024 to make space at Natuurhulpcentrum for newly rescued animals he will be met with a custom-designed enclosure built just for him But it comes at a cost: Five Sisters needs to raise £200,000 to cover the enclosure as well as his future upkeep and veterinary care for the rest of his life The zoo has so far raised £50,000 and is appealing for donations A collective €2m has already been raised to support zoos in Ukraine in caring for their animals so that they can stay in the country thanks to an emergency fundraiser from the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) as most animal evacuations come from Ukrainian rescue centres which house animals from private collections and circuses Aysa and two of her cubs in Poznan Photograph: Yorkshire Wildlife Park/SWNSPoznań Zoo in Poland has taken in more than 200 animals from Ukraine while others have been rehomed in other EAZA member zoos a lioness who recently gave birth to three cubs after being rescued from a private zoo near Donetsk Yorkshire Wildlife Park is in the process of getting permission to move the lions to the UK before Christmas Brexit has meant that paperwork is needed for each country the lions have to pass through on their way to their new home The wildlife park will be the second after Five Sisters to take Ukrainian zoo animals though it became well known in 2010 for a successful rescue of 13 lions from terrible conditions in Romania said Aysa was quite shaken and her cubs were wary when he visited them but he expected them to come out of their shell in the 10-acre lion enclosure The mother has obviously been party to the bombing and things and young cubs will take all their cues from their mum and so they will become terrified when mum’s terrified they were very calm in my presence and they would come out and sniff at me and things like that.” He said the wildlife park would let visitors know as soon as they were comfortable enough to be seen “How long that will take is entirely up to the individual animals and some will take to it quicker than others but as soon as we are confident that they can go out into the enclosure and they’ll not panic Yampil was one of seven surviving animals rescued from a Ukraine zoo and brought to Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder. Five Sisters Zoo confirmed that the 12-year-old Asiatic Black Bear, named Yampil, passed away following an anaesthetic procedure. The zoo said that despite the bear being “comfortable and happy” he suffered from complicated health problems such as dental problems or PTSD. Yampil was put under anaesthetic for further treatment for his “worrying” health problems but did not recover. Romain Pizzi, a specialist vet at Five Sisters Zoo, said: “We are utterly devastated to confirm that Yampil, our 12-year-old Asiatic Black Bear, has passed away following an anaesthetic procedure. “Yampil was one of seven surviving animals rescued from an abandoned zoo in Ukraine, a lesser-known tragedy of human conflict. “Despite being comfortable and happy here, Yampil, like many animals rescued from traumatic circumstances, can suffer from complicated health problems such as dental problems or PTSD. “Yampil was anaesthetised for further treatment for his health problems which were worrying the team. Sadly, anaesthetising animals always carries risks, and Yampil did not recover from the procedure. “We are all deeply affected by the loss of our beloved Yampil. “We appreciate this will be a truly sad day for all the incredible people who helped make his rescue possible. “While the zoo will remain open as usual, we kindly request respect and privacy for our owners and staff during this difficult time.” STV News is now on WhatsAppGet all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Follow STV News on WhatsAppScan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country '+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text+' "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title+" "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text+" News | UK A “beloved” bear who was rescued from the war in Ukraine and rehomed in a Scottish zoo has died Staff at Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder in West Lothian said the death of Yampil The animal had been rehomed there in January this year after being rescued from the village of Yampil in Ukraine Ukrainian soldiers had discovered an abandoned zoo in the village when they arrived there in July 2022, five months after the Russian invasion. Out of nearly 200 animals at the zoo, Yampil the bear was one of only a few who had survived. Romain Pizzi, a specialist vet at Five Sisters Zoo, said while Yampil had been “comfortable and happy” at the West Lothian zoo, animals who have been rescued from such “traumatic circumstances” could have “complicated health problems such as dental problems or PTSD”. He said: “Yampil was anaesthetised for further treatment for his health problems which were worrying the team. “Sadly, anaesthetising animals always carries risks, and Yampil did not recover from the procedure.” Yampil was one of seven surviving animals rescued from an abandoned zoo in Ukraine, a lesser-known tragedy of human conflict Romain Pizzi, specialist vet at Five Sisters Zoo Mr Pizzi stated: “We are utterly devastated to confirm that Yampil, our 12-year-old Asiatic black bear, has passed away following an anaesthetic procedure. “Yampil was one of seven surviving animals rescued from an abandoned zoo in Ukraine, a lesser-known tragedy of human conflict.” The vet added that staff at the zoo were all “deeply affected by the loss of our beloved Yampil”. He said: “We appreciate this will be a truly sad day for all the incredible people who helped make his rescue possible. 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The answer may surprise you “While the zoo will remain open as usual, we kindly request respect and privacy for our owners and staff during this difficult time.” Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Lady Victoria Starmer VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash in London 'shut down' by council over noise complaints David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash 'shut down' over noise complaints Stacey Solomon 'regrets doing reality show with Joe Swash' for tough reason Stacey Solomon 'regrets reality show with Joe Swash' for tough reason Charles, el príncipe de Gales se convierte automáticamente en rey tras el fallecimiento de su madre ‘These extraordinary images showcase the rich diversity of life on Earth and spark curiosity and wonder’ Yampil was found on the brink of starvation after being abandoned for five months in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A black bear who survived starvation and Russian missiles in an abandoned Ukrainian zoo has been settling into his new home in Scotland. Yampil, named after the village he was found in, was one of the last surviving animals at the zoo abandoned ahead of the onslaught of the Russian invasion. He was found heavily concussed after a nearby artillery strike and suffering PTSD after being left to fend for himself for five months when rescuers finally arrived just days before he starved to death The Asiatic black bear was transported to the Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder, West Lothian arriving early on Friday morning. “When we were made aware of the awful treatment and conditions Yampil was subjected to, our hearts broke; we were just so amazed he was still alive and well,” said Brian Curran, owner of Five Sisters Zoo. Mr Curran added: “When the volunteers found Yampil, a shell had not long exploded near his cage, and he was concussed. “He was in terrible condition; five more days and they wouldn’t have been able to save him. “Bears, just like people, can suffer mental health issues similar to post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) after they’ve been through something really traumatic. “That’s why we have the best team on hand to care for him and help make this transition as peaceful and calm for him as possible.” Yampil arrived at the zoo in the early hours of Friday and was safely transported to his temporary enclosure where zoo staff hope he will have a peaceful hibernation. The zoo has a fundraising target of £200,000 for Yampil’s new home, enclosure and upkeep. So far, £60,000 has been raised from individual donations and from local businesses donating materials to build Yampil’s home. Mr Curran added: “We have rescued bears before and have some terrific facilities. “However, Yampil is the first rescued Asiatic black bear we will care for, and he requires a whole new enclosure to match his special needs. “That’s why Yampil is now settling into a temporary enclosure where he will continue his recovery, or go into hibernation; this will give us time to continue to fundraise for his permanent enclosure and work on building this with the support of our community. “We are well aware of the cost-of-living crisis and of people’s difficult financial situations, but should anyone be in a position to help, we would really welcome their support and generous donations.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies I have been living here my entire life," explained Ivan.Yevhennia said she has been raising poultry since she was a little girl living on the farm with her mother."This love grew with us up until our older years and we can't live without our chickens So we try to do as much as we can physically manage."Nearby in the village a blasted stable strewn with animal bones is a monument to the dark fate of animals in a war zone Private owners had collected a menagerie of exotic and wild animals there Residents say the private zoo used to be visited by tour buses of children to see its ostriches ran away or were killed during the months of Russian occupation "there were excursions from all over Ukraine.. it's gone."Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Nick Macfie Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Yampil is now living in a temporary enclosure at Five Sisters Zoo Yampil, a 12-year-old Asiatic black bear rescued from a bombed-out zoo in Ukraine, has arrived at his new home, the Five Sisters Zoo, in West Calder, Scotland. Named after the village where he was found by Ukrainian troops in October 2022, Yampil was one of the few animals to survive the attack in the Donetsk region. He was concussed by shellfire. Five Sisters Zoo will closely monitor Yampil to see if he shows any issues similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being in a warzone. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Five Sisters Zoo (@fivesisters.zoo) Adam Welsh, the zoo’s head of education, told the BBC: “Yampil has been through a lot He could have arrived and been incredibly nervous about meeting people We wanted to make sure we were very delicate when he arrived He’s experienced some really horrible things remarkably chilled out and he’s been eating already drinking and relaxing – that’s nice to see and we’re really hoping that continues.” Yampil, who was first moved to a Polish zoo and then the Natuurhulpcentrum animal sanctuary in Belgium will reside in a temporary enclosure at Five Sisters Zoo The zoo said the black bear has been exploring his temporary enclosure have been making sure he is comfortable and has everything he needs said: “He was in terrible condition; five more days and they wouldn’t have been able to save him We were just so amazed he was still alive and well.” The zoo is fundraising to cover the cost of a new £200,000 enclosure for Yampil Get the latest attractions industry  news direct to your inbox Blooloop is taking climate action and is now B Corp Certified Yampil, an Asiatic black bear from Ukraine, will arrive at a UK zoo later this month after his home zoo was destroyed by Russian shelling, The Guardian reported Yampil survived an attack that killed nearly 200 of his fellow zoo animals He was found by Ukrainian troops near Donetsk last year the Five Sisters Zoo is building Yampil his own enclosure as they prepare to bring him to the UK When zookeepers visited him in Belgium's Natuurhulpcentrum zoo — where he's temporarily residing — in September they hoped to better understand how Yampil was coping "Bears can often suffer mental health problems after going through a traumatic experience and so it was really important we understood Yampil and what to expect from him," Garry Curran head of carnivores for the Five Sisters Zoo But they say they found Yampil happy and healthy ahead of his rehoming "Although he appeared a little nervous at first he seems to have adapted surprisingly well and didn't actually show any concerning stress-related behaviors," Curran told The Guardian "He seems to be a calm and gentle individual The population of Asiatic black bears is decreasing, primarily because of hunting and deforestation, according to World Land Trust said Yampil "deserves a good and better future." "We're very grateful they can offer Yampil the future he deserves," Thoelen told The Guardian by Martin FornusekThe aftermath of a Russian airstrike against Yampil (Sumy Oblast Military Administration/Telegram)A Russian airstrike against the village of Yampil in Sumy Oblast on the morning of Sept Russia has intensified strikes against Sumy Oblast, a northeastern region lying at Ukraine's border with Russia, since Kyiv launched a cross-border incursion into neighboring Kursk Oblast Four explosions were recorded at around 9 a.m local time as Russian aircraft dropped KAB bombs on civilian infrastructure The aftermath of a Russian airstrike against Yampil (Sumy Oblast Prosecutor's Office/Telegram)The aftermath of a Russian airstrike against Yampil (Sumy Oblast Prosecutor's Office/Telegram)Multi-story buildings and a hospital were damaged in the attack The fatalities included a 60-year-old man who was killed while driving his car through the village and a 54-year-old man who died later in the hospital, prosecutors said "All relevant services are working on the spot," the regional military administration said lies roughly 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian border and around 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the regional center Ukrainian authorities have mandated evacuations from a number of border settlements in Sumy Oblast amid intensifying Russian cross-border attacks Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies A zoo in Scotland launched a call for donations to adopt a Ukrainian black bear that survived a concussion while under Russian occupation named Yampil after the village from which he was rescued was found in the "most appalling conditions" in eastern Ukraine according to the Five Sisters Zoo near Edinburgh In a Facebook post on Monday the zoo said Yampil had been in an area of the Donetsk region which was occupied for five months and then recaptured He was close to dying after being concussed by a shell explosion that took place close to his cage at an unspecified date the zoo said in a statement sent to Insider Yampil was one of the few zoo animals to escape with many others succumbing to shelling and broader deprivation at the Ukrainian zoo Five Sisters Zoo said it now wants to make sure it gives him a "happy ending" The bear is currently in safe hands in northeastern Belgium at the Natuurhulpcentrum wildlife-rescue charity It has asked Five Sisters Zoo — renowned for its rescue work and care for endangered animals — to give the animal a loving, permanent home in Scotland, per a Facebook post In a statement sent to Insider, the Scottish zoo said that adopting such an animal requires a "significant" investment of around £200,000 It would pay for a brand new enclosure for Yampil and his future veterinary care needs It has not said how much of the total it has raised so far "War and conflict … is a horrible things, and it's very traumatic for people. It's often forgotten that it's traumatic for animals as well," Romain Pizzi, Five Sisters' head veterinarian, told CNN Yampil is expected to relocate to Scotland in 2024, per the zoo's statement As a result, animal shelters along the frontlines were filled to capacity, according to the first census published by the Ukrainian animal rescue service In March 2022, animal rescuers in neighboring Poland told Insider they had not slept for days driving back and forth over the Ukrainian border to ferry wounded cats and dogs to safety a nonprofit that advocates for animal rights in the early days of Russia’s all-out war and has been traveling almost non-stop to the liberated and front-line areas of Ukraine to rescue animals since then (Olena Bila)When Ukrainian soldiers were entering the village of Yampil in Donetsk Oblast after five months of Russian occupation they discovered an abandoned zoo on the outskirts either killed by Russian troops or dead of starvation they noticed an animal that was still fighting for its life "(The bear) was in terrible condition Five more days and we wouldn't have saved him," says Olena Bila a volunteer who came to the bear’s rescue in late September shortly after Ukrainian soldiers called for volunteers to help and empty cages that she believed had belonged to lions and "drowning in his excrement." adding that a shell had exploded near his cage Bila and her team had to act quickly to move the animal since Russian troops could open fire against the liberated village at any moment Bila says the bear now lives in "good conditions" at a zoo in the Polish city of Poznan and feels better They named him Yampil after the village he was found in over 13 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes since the beginning of Russia's all-out war including 7 million refugees and 6.5 million internally displaced forced to fight for survival amid Russian attacks and cold weather the only chance to survive is to be rescued by Ukrainian volunteers who risk their lives traveling to front-line settlements and liberated territories to save abandoned cats and dogs "Most humanitarian missions and charities are aimed at helping people and I can understand that," says volunteer Kateryna Arisoy "But I believe that all creatures deserve to live," she adds "(Animals) suffer no less than people the battle to save animals started over a decade before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine she co-founded a small animal shelter in her home town of Bakhmut "I was so naive to think that we had already survived the hardest times (the Russian invasion of Donbas in 2014-2022)," Arisoy says adding that she had never expected the all-out war to hit Bakhmut so hard She fled Bakhmut in April amid non-stop Russian attacks but well before it became the focus of some of the heaviest fighting along the entire front line she has returned to the city multiple times to help animals In the city of Dnipro, where Arisoy temporarily found a new home, she joined the Vetmarket Pluriton, a team of volunteers that help and rescue animals affected by the war Arisoy says volunteers often get calls from locals telling them where the help is needed The volunteers started by rescuing animals from the liberated towns of Irpin and Bucha outside Kyiv When fighting intensified in the east of Ukraine they began traveling to Bakhmut and other settlements in the area Bila, on the other hand, was "far from volunteering" before the full-scale invasion: In the early days of the war, she and her husband had to shut down their small business in Kyiv Oblast and "devote themselves to helping others" by joining the team of UAnimals, a nonprofit that advocates for animal rights during one of their missions near the capital Ukrainian soldiers showed them a small wounded puppy that had recently come to them "We took him and started treating his wounds," Bila says The puppy turned out to be a Bernese Mountain Dog He has accompanied them during every "evacuation and in all the front-line hot spots." "He goes ahead of us during rescue missions," Bila says When we are loading animals (into their mini-bus) where a Ukrainian family with a little daughter spotted a cute puppy the couple had just rescued from a war-torn settlement "We offered for them to take that puppy saying it was too big of a responsibility," Bila says After they had driven 100 kilometers from the gas station a car appeared behind them and honked for them to stop in the middle of the highway "It was the same family we had offered the puppy," Bila says So they chased us for more than 100 kilometers to get this puppy Bila went to the liberated city of Izium in Kharkiv Oblast She says Ukrainian soldiers rescued 10 dogs there and decided to adopt all of them into their families "We brought the dogs to their new families "There are many Ukrainians who care about animals even despite the horrors of the war," Bila adds Seeing Ukrainian soldiers treat animals kindly and rescue them amid heavy fighting touches Bila's heart deeply they will still try to save it," she says "That distinguishes our soldiers (from the Russian troops)," she adds Volunteers say that the difference is especially striking in the settlements liberated from the Russian occupation When Arisoy visited the Yampil zoo and the nearby nature reserve shortly after the area’s liberation she was shocked to see what Russians left of the place she used to enjoy "Russian soldiers were based there during the occupation Most of the animals died of hunger or from shelling," she says "But Russians also ate many animals," she says adding that they learned about that from locals she also saw the remains of her "favorite alpaca." I immediately recognized who it was and almost fainted," she says Out of nearly 200 animals at the zoo and the reserve she says they also found a corpse of a camel that died of starvation: "Only bones remained," Arisoy says Bila assumes Russian soldiers were also "killing animals for fun," as volunteers found wild animals "shot dead in their cages" at the zoo She says it was the first time she saw animals that had been shot dead Though most of the animals they rescue have been abandoned by their owners escaping the war there are some whose owners had been killed From one of the liberated half-ruined settlements of Kharkiv Oblast Bila rescued a dog with a litter of small puppies was killed in a Russian airstrike on the village other volunteers take care of the pets and look for new homes for them There are countless similar stories all over Ukraine That's why she and her husband work almost non-stop to rescue as many as possible Arosoy says animal rescue missions during war mean constant threats to their lives "We come under fire all the time," she says adding that a rocket fell in front of their car when they were driving near Bakhmut recently saying that recently they evacuated five horses from a farm in liberated Kherson under the heavy shelling When they were on a mission to rescue a bear from Bakhmut a projectile fell nearly 10 meters away from them because we are on such a good mission — saving the lives of our animals," Bila says But Russian attacks are not the only threats the volunteers face "Three members of our team were taken prisoner by the Russian troops when they went to Lysychansk to evacuate children and a local animal shelter," Arisoy says Russian forces captured Lysychansk, the last Ukrainian holdout in Luhansk Oblast, after heavy fighting, in early July. Arisoy says their volunteers were in the city at that time. She can not disclose details but says they are still in captivity. Despite the many challenges and risks they are facing, Bila says there "was not a second she regretted becoming a volunteer." "It is so heartwarming when you save a life and see an animal that is grateful to you," she says. "They can't say anything, but how they look at you shows gratitude for being saved." Daria Shulzhenko is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has been a lifestyle reporter at the Kyiv Post until November 2021. She graduated from Kyiv International University with a bachelor’s in linguistics, specializing in translation from English and German languages. She has previously worked as a freelance writer and researcher. Reporting by Reuters; Editing by David Ljunggren Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. The 12-year-old Yampil was named for a village in the Donetsk region where he was one of the few survivors found by Ukrainian troops in the remains of a bombed-out private zoo. The bear was found in a menagerie that had long been abandoned by its owners. Almost all the other animals had died of hunger, thirst or were struck by bullets or shrapnel and some were eaten by Russian troops. Yampil narrowly missed the same fate, suffering a concussion from a projectile that landed nearby. “The bear miraculously survived,” said Yakovlev, also director of the White Rock Bear Shelter, where the bear recovered. “Our fighters did not know what ... to do with him, so they started looking for rescue.” What followed was an odyssey that your average bear rarely makes, as he was moved to Kyiv for veterinary care and rehab, then shipped to a zoo in Poland, then to an animal rescue in Belgium, where he spent the past seven months, before landing in the United Kingdom. Brian Curran, owner of Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder, Scotland, said his heart broke when he learned of the plight of the threatened Asiatic black bear. “He was in terrible condition; five more days and they wouldn’t have been able to save him,” Curran said. “We were just so amazed he was still alive and well.” The bear was skinny but not malnourished when he was found, said Frederik Thoelen, a biologist at the Nature Help Center in Belgium. He now is estimated to weigh a healthy 440 pounds (200 kilograms), Thoelen said. The nature center in Belgium, which usually treats injured wildlife and returns them to their natural settings, has taken several animals rescued from the war in Ukraine, including a wolf, a caracal cat and four lions, though those animals had not experienced the ordeal Yampil endured. It was remarkable how calm Yampil was when he arrived in Belgium, Thoelen said. The bear was trained in the past two weeks to move from his enclosure to the crate that would transport him across Belgium to Calais, France, then across the English Channel on a ferry to Scotland. Pastries from a local bakery were used for good measure to lure him Thursday into the cage, where he was sedated for the journey. “We want to use the food that he likes most, and for most bears — and for people also — it’s sweet, unhealthy foods,” Thoelen said. Thoelen had a sense of the bear’s weight as he drove the crate to the port. “Every time when we had a red light or a traffic jam, when the bear moved a little bit, you could feel the van moving also,” he said. “You could feel it was a heavy animal in the back of the car.” Yampil arrived at the zoo about 15 miles (25 kilometers) west of Edinburgh and immediately made himself at home. He feasted on cukes — said to be his favorite food — and melon, said Adam Welsh, who works at Five Sisters. The Asiatic black bear is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species as vulnerable to extinction in the wild, where it can be found in central and southern Asia, Russia and Japan. It’s known for the distinctive white crescent patch on its chest that gives it the nickname moon bear. It can live for up to 30 years in zoos. It’s not clear if the bear will go into hibernation. The winter has been warmer than usual but colder days are on the horizon. The zoo has other bears, but Yampil is the only Asian bear and unique in other ways. “We’ve had circus bears, for example, that have been rescued,” Welsh said. “We’ve had bears rescued from places like roadside restaurants where they’ve been used as kind of roadside attractions and been kept in subpar conditions. But this is the first time that we’ve worked with an animal that’s been rescued from a war zone.” You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. Rhys Jones | Friday 12 January 2024 17:32 GMT Watch the moment that a bear rescued from an abandoned zoo in Ukraine arrives into his new home at a Scottish zoo on Friday Yampil is an Asiatic black bear who survived shelling in the Donetsk region, and has now been permanently rehomed to the Five Sisters Zoo in West Lothian, Scotland, finishing a trip of 690 miles. Brian Curran, owner of Five Sisters Zoo, said: “We are so pleased to say that Yampil has arrived here safe and well, and is settling in perfectly in his forever home here with us. The 12-year-old bear will be watched closely to see if he displays any signs of post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) after experiencing a warzone. 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Prince Louis caught brushing down Price Williams jacket during VE Day celebrations The 1998 diesel has been converted into a stylish two-bed Beckham luciendo su peinado mohicano antes de un amistoso internacional contra México en 2001 Residents mourn the dead as the Ukrainian army hunts for Russians in the liberated village of Yampil Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player treat a wounded soldier on their way to the nearest stabilization point from the front line near Yampil in the northern part of Donetsk Oblast (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)Editor’s note: Military medics interviewed for this story are only identified by first name due to security reasons DONETSK OBLAST – With its sirens blaring through the narrow and bumpy road an ambulance speeds off to the closest front-line makeshift hospital in northeastern Ukraine “How many more minutes?” wounded 39-year-old soldier Yuriy asks the medics “Ten minutes maximum,” combat medic Vitaly Yuriy’s right foot was blown off by an anti-personnel mine while he was conducting a reconnaissance task on the front line near Yampil in Donetsk Oblast along with his 27-year-old colleague Mykyta and 35-year-old driver Roman evacuate the wounded nearly every day from a designated spot a few kilometers from the front line to the nearest stabilization point Deployed near Yampil with the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade the medics say they are seeing a rapid increase in casualty numbers as Russia intensifies its push on the northeastern front they are mostly light to medium injuries – from shrapnel wounds to concussions The Ukrainian military reported in July that Russia has deployed over 100,000 personnel, more than 900 tanks, 555 artillery systems, and 370 rocket systems to the northeastern Lyman-Kupiansk sector. The Russian assaults are endless and they are constantly looking for weak spots to make a breakthrough according to infantrymen deployed in the area Anticipating an influx of wounded at any moment They are scheduled to have 12-hour shifts twice a week but with an increase in intensity of fighting are receiving more and more calls Relying mostly on volunteers’ help for medical supplies organizing swift evacuations is a daunting task for combat medics who are risking their lives to pull the wounded out from the front lines Vehicles such as the American Humvee — which usually fit two wounded soldiers — are crucial for evacuation from the front lines to an area where ambulances can be used While Ukraine’s Western allies have supplied hundreds of such vehicles since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion To make sure evacuations go as smoothly as possible the medics constantly need to communicate within their unit and with other brigades fighting in the area Difficulties arise when Russia intercepts radio communication Russian forces have consistently targeted medics and the vehicles evacuating the wounded – including ambulances – throughout the full-scale war Medics are instructed to prioritize their safety over the wounded but they often risk their own lives in an attempt to save as many lives as possible Fast evacuations help increase the chance of wounded soldiers’ survival because blood loss is the leading cause of death on the battlefield, accounting for more than 60% of the fatalities, according to the Health Ministry The casualty number varies from day to day but other days they may have to evacuate as many as 16 soldiers in one shift the group of medics said in their heavily shelled waiting point The medics do everything they can to make the evacuation process less traumatizing for the wounded soldiers The time lying on the ambulance stretcher – especially in silence – can become the most traumatizing moment in a soldier’s life if they start to process what has happened That is why the medics try to find conversational topics that suit the wounded soldiers’ interests trying to distract them from thinking about their injury and the unbearable pain the two medics asked about his 12 and 16-year-old sons and his hometown in Ternopil Oblast – reassuring him that he would be home soon “We try to show (them) that everything is okay and that the scariest part is over,” Mykyta explained Mykyta says he and his colleague even try to use their body to block the view Dealing with head injuries or severe bleeding in areas where tourniquets won’t help is especially difficult and concussions can also be very scary – especially if there is bleeding from the ears and nose It is also crucial to gauge the psychological condition of the wounded soldiers Lying to their faces is sometimes necessary if they feel the soldier is at risk of going into shock “You look at the person and you understand whether they will be able to take the truth,” Mykyta said It’s important to remain “cold-hearted” and not let emotions interfere “But we are not allowed to make them – that’s why we always analyze The medics are frequently witness to some of the most brutal scenes of the war Some of the wounded soldiers can’t be evacuated on time due to fierce fighting Not all the evacuated soldiers make it to the stabilization point alive “If you begin to take everything that is happening really seriously and very sympathetically While Mykyta’s team has been able to evacuate all the wounded alive to the stabilization point thus far he said he thought several times that the soldier might not make it through the roughly 30-minute drive not being able to see the wounded soldier and his condition while driving is hard trying to avoid large holes while driving as fast as possible but your thoughts go back to it,” Roman said “When you bring them (to the stabilization point) and you understand that they will live and everything will be okay “Time is precious,” because a leg or an arm – or even a life – has a better chance of being saved the quicker the medics work None of the three men anticipated being medics when they decided to join the military in February 2022 Months into their deployment in the war’s hottest spots including to the now Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut they say they feel that they got a hang of the job But one of the most difficult parts of the job is seeing soldiers as young as 19 and 20 severely wounded “They are the gems of our nation,” Roman added he wants to forget about what he has seen at war once it is over Roman said that the most important thing for him is that everything is okay with his family even if it means not telling them that he is in one of the hotspots of Russia’s war who used to work at a shipbuilding plant in France but came back to Ukraine when the war began said he is proud to have found a job in the army that he can still do even with the condition of his health after having some organs removed and then I think I did something good,” he said Both Roman and Vitaly say they plan to return to their original work once the war is over whose bulletproof vest has “Born by mistake enjoying a chance to die for a reason” written on it his mother told him that he was adopted from a pool of unwanted babies He says he feels confident for the first time in a long time that he is in the right place “There was one (moment in which I felt confident) and third – I began to understand that I really belong here and that I can do it,” Mykyta said the Dnipro native wants to become a high school teacher to teach students to think critically about historical events particularly so that they know how dictators like Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler and Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power But none of the three medics expects the war to end anytime soon you begin to understand that when (it will end) is not clear but it will end for sure someday,” Mykyta said but you can’t influence it in any way other than focus on what is happening now.” ______________________________________________________ Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023 She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine Головна Сторінка » English stories » “If it whistles you have to lie down”: how children study in a frontline Yampil In the village of Yampil in Donetsk Oblast about 200 people out of more than 2,000 remain The only teacher has organised a “home school” for the children Info visited the frontline “school” in Yampil to see how it works what the children do and what they dream about and how their everyday life is soaked in war The two-storey building of the Yampil school on Myr Street is broken and empty. Most of its students were evacuated from the village because of the war and occupation (Yampil was occupied from April to September 2022) Olena Achkeieva is the only teacher left in Yampil She helps students take tests and connect to online lessons is proudly called the “Educational and Counselling Centre” Volunteers brought in a Starlink and a power generator and the local education department provided two laptops and we are trying to convey knowledge to the children somehow,” social worker Olena Mykolaivna Achkeieva shows us around the small room There is a box with kittens in the middle of the room “These are our anti-stress lumps,” she explains Olena used to work as a secretary at the Yampil school and now she is retraining as a social pedagogue to continue working with children: “We go online for lessons or consultations according to a schedule Teachers explain to children a topic they don’t understand.” “The Internet is everything for children Some teachers even come here sometimes if they can,” says the teacher It can only be found in the military or here at the “school” the teacher occasionally pulls the children to return to their lessons and tests as some open games on their phones and others scroll through social media and then we’ll have a few minutes for personal needs,” Olena explains The only thing that throws her off balance is the explosions heard outside the window you can hear it (talking about the explosions — ed.) and the teachers are there to check,” says Olena The children say that the teacher lives in the basement because she is afraid of shelling and they all go down there together when it gets too loud Olena Mykolaivna assures us that everyone has been instructed what to do in case of shelling the boy Ihor confidently answers: “fall to the ground” The children are equally confident in explaining how to distinguish between “exits” and “arrivals” and how “cluster munitions sound” the schoolchildren assure us that they would not want to evacuate holds one of the “anti-stress lumps” the kittens crawled all over the students’ hands My friend and friend girl have already left and no one wants to talk to my friend because he is from Donetsk region,” says the girl The teacher says that even the children here already have basements equipped as real apartments and do not want to leave “Perhaps our nature is such that we cannot break away and leave It is very difficult to change your settled place,” says Olena who brings her son to and from school every day because of the danger even though her husband insisted on evacuating: “Every day is scary I don’t think we are needed anywhere is intact: the fence and roof were damaged and windows were smashed “It was on 23 February when there was a hit nearby I remember well that it happened at 3:46 am,” says Olena her son Dmytro has been afraid to spend the night in the house so he goes down to the basement every night Dmytro gives journalists a tour of the house At the entrance there is a box with kittens – three of them: Bayraktar the boy takes us to his “military base” there are military vehicles lined up one next to the other He says that he has seen some of them on the streets of the village and that the military told him about some of them Dmytro calls them his “new friends” because his “old” friends and classmates left Yampil because of the war Dmytro is convinced that a real soldier should have a bulletproof vest and an assault rifle and be fearless but he admits that he is not quite like that: “I’m afraid of bombs.” Despite the children’s fears, neither volunteers nor the police can take them and their parents out of the area by force. The Cabinet of Ministers’ resolution on the so-called “mandatory evacuation by force” applies to only 21 settlements READ ALSO: “They wanted to take what’s mine – I’ll take everything from them”: how Adam tankers destroy the enemy near Bakhmut Slidstvo.Info agency traced the path of the 27-year-old Viktoria, uncovering the conditions of her detention in ... Slidstvo.Info journalists talked to Inha, who for the first time shared her experience of imprisonment and what is ... The Command of the Ground Forces told Slidstvo.Info that Oscar was captured in Luhansk Oblast and has been ... Soldiers in the vanguard of the operation to liberate the Donetsk town of Yampil told us they are finding Russians hiding in the woods or in bombed buildings, scared and desperately ditching their uniforms to try to disguise themselves as civilians. Others are just giving themselves up and asking to be taken captive. "We found some earlier today," one Ukrainian soldier called Andrei told us. "A lot of them are running from Lyman" - a key town liberated a few days ago which had been used as a vital Russian transport hub. Andrei went on: "Some of them are lost because they have no navigation so they just give themselves up to us. "They have no choice. It's cold now and they want to eat," he added with a shrug. We watched the "clean-up" taskforce inside Yampil as they moved from home to home, weapons raised, on alert, torches at hand, searching for booby traps that may have been set and mines that have been laid. But most importantly they're hunting the key prize - their enemy - Russian soldiers. The Yampil homes they go into offer illuminating insights into how the Russian troops behaved and lived and just how fast the progress in the east has been. "Monk", from the 103rd Brigade, takes us with his team to an apartment block that the Russian troops had used as one of their bases whilst they occupied the town. The owners were turfed out of homes they'd lived in for decades whilst the Russian troops moved in. Every room we go in is a monumental mess of personal belongings, army uniforms, helmets, and flak jackets strewn across the floors, beds, chairs, and sofas. We saw rolled-up Russian flags on tables, and Russian army t-shirts hanging on laundry lines. One of our team spotted human faeces on the floor along with animal faeces, discarded toiletries, and alcohol bottles. This was an army that camped here for some time in complete chaos, with little regard for discipline or it seems personal hygiene. In one kitchen, there were still, what looked like patties, sitting mid-fry in a pan. It's likely these soldiers left in one heck of a hurry. "Everywhere we go, it's the same," Monk says, taking us down to a shelter they occupied to show us empty bottles of alcohol and a couple of makeshift beds the Russians had set up. "We are really surprised," he says, "Why do they start this war… What's the point? They have no principles… they are drinking and then fighting with us… what for?"During our time in Yampil, we see a constant stream of military vehicles going up and down the main road through the town. Some are travelling at speed and seem to be ferrying injured soldiers to medical stations. Others pass us waving cheerily and one flashes the two-fingered peace sign at us. There's an upbeat air about the Ukrainian troops right now because of their rapid battlefield gains. Ukrainian troops have recaptured huge swathes of territory in the last few weeks during a major counter-offensive. The Ukrainian blitz has taken on lightning speed, ripping through thousands of square kilometres of territory which had been held by the Russians just a few weeks ago. The troops managed to snatch back about three thousand square kilometres in just six days in the Kharkiv region last month - and they've not taken their foot off the military accelerator. Since then, they've recaptured dozens of towns, villages, and communities which the Russians controlled in just a matter of weeks. What began as a surprise ambush in the north in the Kharkiv region allowed them to capitalise by storming on the eastern front - as well as mount a separate counter-offensive in the south and Kherson. The liberation of key towns in the east like Izyum and Lyman which were being used by the Russians as strategic transport routes taking supplies to their troops in the Donbas, was fundamental to their progress. It immediately threatened the Russians' ability to hold onto the Donbas. The military manoeuvres also appear to have utterly stunned the Russians who scrambled to get out of the way of the advancing army. The road into Lyman which we found strewn with dead Russian corpses is a testament to that. The roads leading into Lyman and beyond are littered with the carcasses of destroyed military vehicles. There is village after village which have been flattened in this battle. But the victories put the Ukrainians on a solid footing to push further into the Donbas. They're even pushing into the Luhansk region now and within striking distance of the key transport hub of Kremina, and the twin cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk. All of this military movement comes as Vladimir Putin held multiple referenda and annexed Luhansk and Donetsk as Russian territories along with Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The civilians in Yampil - one of the latest liberated towns - are still reeling with the suddenness of it all. Many we speak to have lost people they loved in the battle and are still quivering with fear. "It was terrible, terrible," one elderly woman told us with tears in her eyes. "We were scared then and we are still scared now." The horrors of what happened in Russian-occupied towns are only now coming to light as they're reclaimed. The long-range artillery barrage from both sides meant the residents of Yampil endured a bombardment few believed they'd survive. They told us of living in constant fear; of rockets landing outside their houses, in their living rooms, on their allotments, and burying their relatives under shelling in their gardens. We saw homes with signs painted on gates saying "People living here". One had a teddy tied to the front to indicate children were also inside. And there are claims of war crimes, of Russians firing on an ambulance carrying an injured man, of all three occupants of the ambulance being blown up, and of the Russians hastily burying them together in one grave. "They wanted to cover the evidence," a relative told us. We're taken to a grave in the backyard of a house and marked simply by a simple, single cross. It's in the back garden pockmarked with a rocket crater at the foot of a dilapidated house that was used by the Russians. Galyna tells us it was her sister Lyuda and her nephew who were in the ambulance. Her sister was racing to take her badly wounded nephew to hospital when the Russians tried to stop them at gunpoint. When they didn't stop, despite being an ambulance, witnesses say the Russians fired on them, killing both the driver and her nephew. They told Galyna that her sister stepped out of the ambulance in a panic and appeared to set off a trip-wire which detonated a bomb and all three plus the vehicle were blown up. We find scraps of metal from a vehicle on the side of the road but it's impossible to tell if it's the ambulance, although there are discarded blue plastic gloves and syringes by the verge too. Galyna pulls out a black trainer from the opposite verge and a small, black slipper. "That's my nephew's shoe and my sister's slipper," she says. "That's all that's left of them." She breaks down, sobbing uncontrollably. "Those who killed her are not human. She never hurt a fly in her life… what for? Why her?" "She didn't deserve to die like that. I want them to burn in hell… the b*****ds who did this. I want the worms to eat their body. I hate them. I hate, hate…" Her voice trails off as she tries to wrestle with controlling her emotions. This was a sister who was much loved. Galyna still hasn't come to terms with the deaths and the trauma of the war rolling out in their town. And there's a part of her still holding out hope that she's somehow alive somewhere despite the evidence which suggests otherwise, as well as finding her single slipper and the eyewitnesses telling her. "I want her properly identified," Galyna says. "For now I just really want them to identify all three of those bodies…. and prove that it is definitely my sister… because to tell the truth I'm not 100% sure it's her, because my heart is saying it's not her." Many have lost loved ones here and there's been no time to grieve. Sixty-nine-year-old Tatiana tells us she buried her husband with the help of neighbours in the patch of ground in front of their home whilst the shells still came raining down. It was terribly unsafe to try to take his body to the cemetery because of the fighting. She says the fear and horror of the battle as it raged all around them caused him to have a heart attack. "I was ill all my life but he never was," she says between sobs. "I can't describe how scared we felt and even now we are scared…. we are still scared," she adds. "Every day I'm crying. From first thing in the morning, I'm crying." We see huddles of people waiting, hoping for some aid so they can eat. "My neighbour died of starvation," one woman on a bicycle tells us bitterly. As we drive around the town, there is home after home bombed and broken. "Wherever Russia goes, it's the same," Monk tells us. "Everything is destroyed. And they're not just hitting us with rockets, they're hitting civilians too." CreditsReporting: Alex Crawford, special correspondent Production: Chris Cunningham and Artem Lysak, producers Pictures: Chris Cunningham and Jake Britton, camera operator EUROPA PENTRU TINE!Află despre beneficiile și oportunitățile oferite Republicii Moldova de Uniunea Europeană Government approved at the initiative of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development the ratification of the Agreement between the Moldovan government and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the construction of the cross-border road bridge over the Dniester River at the Moldovan-Ukrainian state border in the area of the towns of Cosăuți - Yampil The construction of the border road bridge will interconnect the road infrastructures between the two states on the route T-02-02 Mohyliv-Podilsky-Yampil-Kryzopil-Bershad-Uman (UA) and the national road R14.1 R14 - Cosăuți - border with Ukraine (MD) the road network through the eastern part of the Republic of Moldova will be connected to the TEN-T trans-European road network thus facilitating trade on the domestic and international markets The Government of Ukraine will ensure the financing of the technical project of the bridge including its construction and the related infrastructure on its territory and the Moldovan Government will ensure the construction of the related road infrastructure on the territory of our state The bridge will have a length of more than 1400 meters two traffic lanes and two pedestrian sidewalks on both sides The construction is to be put into operation in 2025 "Through the ratification of the Agreement safety and security will be given to road traffic and the economic growth of nearby regions will be boosted thanks to the elimination of cross-border constraints which will have a positive impact on the quality of life of citizens" noted Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Lilia Dabija All materials featured on this site are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) Technical-technological administration: Information Technology and Cyber Security Service. was among the few surviving animals in war-torn Ukrainian zoo An Asiatic black bear who was left in horrendous conditions in Russian-occupied Ukraine will be adopted by a Scottish zoo was among the few surviving animals in the zoo when the town of the same name was liberated by Ukrainian soldiers in October last year Now Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder has launched a bid to rehouse Yampil, with aims to bring him to Scotland next year “Yampil was one of the few zoo animals that survived the devastation with many sadly losing their lives to the war attacks and harsh conditions,” said the zoo in an appeal to raise funds to bring Yampil to Scotland “Some were even believed to have been killed and eaten during the Russian occupation but one we are determined to make sure has a happy ending.” A rescue operation has so far taken Yampil from Ukraine to Poland and then onto Belgium where he is temporarily being held in the Natuurhulpcentrum animal shelter Speaking to CNN, Five Sisters’ head veterinarian Romain Pizzi said: “War and conflict is a horrible thing and it’s very traumatic for people It’s often forgotten that it’s traumatic for animals as well “There are many species like the Asiatic black bear who are really intelligent “We want to make sure that what we build for him as a sanctuary enclosure in Scotland is going to meet his needs and they’ll be specific to him depending on what trauma he’s gone through and what maladaptive behaviours he may have developed in that time.” The zoo aims to raise around £200,000 for Yampil’s new enclosure and it is inviting people to donate to help it reach this total VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day Rihanna shows off baby bump at star-studded Met Gala 2025 as singer's third pregnancy with A$AP Rocky announced Rihanna debuts baby bump on star-studded Met Gala blue carpet buses began to arrive in Crimea carrying Russian conscripts called up during the mobilization training is apparently going to consist of a couple of days sleeping on cots and whatever tips they could pick up in transit Those troops immediately got a ceremony—a “departure ceremony”—as they were directed to the front lines. There are other reports of similar troops arriving in the Donetsk area Considering how Russia’s attack on Bakhmut has sometimes consisted of simply sending wave after wave of unsupported infantry up the slope at entrenched positions these men should do just as well as those with years of experience over the last two days fighting in Ukraine has gone like this: Ukraine is expanding bridgeheads at Dvorichna and Kupyansk Ukraine reportedly has two major moves underway which is along a major highway that goes to a border crossing into Russia Fighting there has been described as intense over the last two days but Ukrainian troops have reportedly entered the western part of the town and found a large cache of that most vital Russian supply: stolen washing machines That bridgehead is also pushing to the south where it’s reportedly reached the town of Lyman Pershyi It’s unclear if they are seeing much pushback from Russia along this route but the goal is clearly to connect this bridgehead with the one 15 kilometers south at Kupyansk. That Kupyansk bridgehead as been the scene of some very serious fighting and brought in reinforcements even as Ukraine was getting set up on the east side of the river and preparing to move Ukrainian sources in this area are still citing operational security and giving only scant reports of activities in the area but it’s clear there were a pair of large battles one in the southeastern area of Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi (the location of an absolutely enormous rail yard) and another to the east at Petropavlivka Russia apparently suffered some very major losses of troops in these fights and this is another area where Russian forces were reportedly rushed to the front in infantry waves without having adequate support from armor or air. That Ukraine now controls these areas is made pretty certain by the fact that both locations have shown up in the morning list of areas shelled by Russia for the last two days the Kupyansk force is now reported to be moving south also known as the town that for nearly a week kept saying there were no Russian troops present Whether Russia got any forces into place before Ukrainian forces arrived isn’t clear At a pre-war population of 20,000, Kivsharivka is about the same size as Lyman and it seems to have so far made it through the war with a lot less damage One other thing is interesting about the Ukrainian advance from Kupyansk: the P07 highway. If Ukraine is also continuing down the P07 to the southeast there’s pretty much nothing in the way until they get to the area of Kyslivka and even that’s far enough off the road that it could potentially be bypassed There are no real indications that Ukraine is about to do a speed run down the P07 … except that this is the same road that Ukraine used on its three-day crossing from Balakliya to Kupyansk And 50 km down that same highway is Svatove which is now reportedly Russia’s major mustering point in the region the forces that have crossed at Dvorichna and Kupyansk could meet up and continue to push south Or they could each continue to expand their bridgeheads Or they could mount up and fly down the P07 into Luhansk … and Russia has to be prepared to defend any of these options Ukraine has continued to expand the liberated area north of Lyman That includes both pressing up the highway directly east of the Oskil River and widening the liberated area to the north But the most important thing that’s happened may have been reported in just the last hour—so recently in fact that I’ve just had to remake this map and redo several paragraphs of text Russia apparently reinforced positions in Lyman and pushed back into Drobysheve with some regular Russian army forces to back the mercenary group that had been holding the northern edge of that town While Ukraine apparently did eventually move Russian forces out of Novoselivka (locals there report that Ukraine has set up checkpoints and is checking IDs in the town) Russia actually seemed to control more of Lyman than it did over the weekend In spite of Ukrainian forces fighting between Nove and Zelena Dolyna and the capture of major rail lines in the area Russia still had one good highway running from Kreminna straight into Lyman on the east That well-paved road has allowed them to keep Lyman supplied I had actually spent a good chunk of the morning looking at the territory between Zelena Dolyna and Torske writing several paragraphs about what Ukraine would need to do to press down to this point from the north and west and actually encircle the Russian forces And then Ukraine built a new pair of pontoon bridges across the Siverskyi Donets River at Bilohorivka and now has scouting forces near both Torske and Kreminna all under what appears to have been perfect operational security I’ve never been happier to get out the editing pen and start slicing If reports from both Ukrainian and Russian sources are correct we’re not going to be waiting days or weeks for that last road into Lyman to be cut That road is cut right now. Russian forces have reportedly abandoned the forested area east of Torske and Yampil. but considering the way Mud Season has moved into the area and reports that Ukrainian forces have managed to begin attacks on Stavky there seems to be very little opportunity for Russian forces in this area to escape. Unless Russia can get to the area with enough strength to relieve pressure on that eastern road Yampil, and Drobysheve are effectively encircled assuming that these reports of a significant Ukrainian force crossing the river and reaching Torske are correct there are reports that Ukraine has liberated Nyzhche and that Ukrainian troops have entered the southern half of Borova Russia has reportedly been preparing a new defensive line running roughly along that red line from Borova to Serhiivka any preparations made there could be worthless Some preliminary—and totally believable—results of the “referenda” in occupied territories It’s expected that Vladimir Putin will give the final results when he speaks on Sept. 30 but 🇷🇺-installed officials have announced the preliminary results of their “referendums” in occupied Ukraine:- 97% in Kherson region - 98% in Zaporizhzhia - 98% in “Donetsk People’s Republic”- 98% in “Luhansk People’s Republic” Russian mobilization meme pic.twitter.com/SVECr3ZLdm We have an even shot at keeping our House majority, but only if enough Democrats turn out to vote. Click to start writing Postcards to Democratic-leaning voters in targeted House districts today. I really appreciate how Ukraine seems to have these signs in even the smallest towns for confirmation Also notice how bad the mud is getting with days of rain This is why those paved roadways are becoming more and more important and why capturing towns is likely to become more difficult in coming weeks Ridkodub 🇺🇦1/1062/ pic.twitter.com/CYIVjE1H2O Ukraine seems to have the overall initiative right now but that might change with more rain and a bunch of RU cannon fodder It's possible we might hit a stand still if we get a lot of rain and RU conscripts manning the defensive lines 👌 pic.twitter.com/aJoPwRjY5v Have both video and images geolocated to Shandryholove More interesting are reports on Russian Telegram that Dibrova Here’s one of those puzzles that makes me wish someone had really used a larger list when selecting names for Ukrainian towns both Russian and Ukrainian sources are reporting that the Ukrainian forces who crossed the Siverskyi Donets River have liberated Dibrova Most analysts seem to be assuming that the Dibrova in question is the one to the right that would go a long way to bolstering the idea that the new forces crossing the pontoon bridge have moved in force against the area east of Yampil threatening Russian access to Lyman (I’ve colored this map along that assumption) have had this town under Ukrainian control for over a week But at least one of the most reliable analysts has said he believes this is the Dibrova that was in the original messages and that everyone has jumped the gun looking to confirm the activity east of Yampil I’ve tried comparing the messages to how these were described by Telegram and military bloggers when Russia was coming the other way back in April but found both of them described as “Dibrova There might be good confirmation of Ukrainian activity along this critical highway The source is Russian war reporter WarGonzo and remember the sources are less-than-reliable usually this would be a major collapse of Russian positions north of Lyman That entire Ukrainian salient didn’t exist two days ago. There will be things to talk about in the morning. Not signed up for Daily Kos yet? Create a free account A new bridge is set to be built on the Ukrainian-Moldovan state border near the settlements of Yampil (Ukraine) and Cosăuți (Moldova), as Ukraine's Government portal states the bridge will have a total length of over 1.400 meters (4.593 feet) It will include two lanes with sidewalks on both sides The Yampil Bridge is set to replace a ferry crossing at the border point of Yampil-Cosăuți which has been non-operational for several years and no longer meets the demands of time or the actual needs of the residents in both states The new bridge will also help to alleviate the pressure on the Mohyliv-Podilskyi - Otaci international checkpoint which currently handles almost all traffic between Ukraine and Moldova "The bridge will become a key link in the transport corridor between Kyiv and Chișinău It will also provide Ukrainian exporters with the shortest route from the center of Ukraine to central and south-eastern Europe Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities Territories and Infrastructure Development Ukraine and Moldova signed an agreement on the operation of railway transport aiming to simplify control procedures for the rail transit of goods It was also agreed to introduce non-stop transit through the territory of Ukraine between the Frikatsey-Etulia and Reni-Giurgiuleşti checkpoints in order to increase the volume of cargo transported by rail freight transport was launched on the restored Berezyne-Basarabeasca (Moldova) railway line The Asiatic Black Bear was discovered by soldiers in 2022 following five months of Russian occupation. The Asiatic Black Bear was discovered by soldiers in October 2022 following five months of Russian occupation in the village of Yampil the bear was one of few animals to survive the invasion was found concussed and near death after a shell had exploded near his cage just days before he was discovered where he was being cared for by the Belgian nature charity Natuur Hulp Centrum Yampil arrived at Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder on Friday morning Renowned for its rescue work and care for endangered animals the zoo had pledged to provide a safe home for Yampil in Scotland Ambitious fundraising efforts began in September last year to help with transportation costs and help zoo build a new £200,000 enclosure Yampil is now set to go into hibernation until Spring when visitors will be able to get a first glimpse of him more than 13 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes since the beginning of Russia’s all-out war including seven million refugees and 6.5 million internally displaced The zoo has said it will require an investment of around £200,000 for a brand new enclosure for Yampil, and is inviting people to donate to help with this as well as the cost of his future upkeep and veterinary care, at Five Sisters Zoo for the rest of his life. The fundraiser can be found here. Brian Curran, owner of Five Sisters Zoo, said: “When we were made aware of the awful treatment and conditions Yampil was subjected to, our hearts broke; we were just so amazed he was still alive and well. “When the volunteers found Yampil, a shell had not long exploded near his cage, and he was concussed. He was in terrible condition; five more days and they wouldn’t have been able to save him. “We knew instantly that we had to help, and immediately committed to giving Yampil a new start in life – despite knowing how much of an investment it would cost the zoo. “We have rescued bears before and have some terrific facilities. However, Yampil is the first rescued Asiatic black bear we will care for, and he requires a whole new enclosure to match his special needs. “We are well aware of the cost-of-living crisis and of people’s difficult financial situations, but should anyone be in a position to help, we would really welcome their support and generous donations”. Ukrainian soldiers called in support from animal welfare volunteers who help rescue animals affected by the war, including the charity, Natuur Hulp Centrum. Frederik Thoelen, a spokesperson from the charity said: “If one animal deserves a good and better future, it’s without doubt war-victim Yampil. “And from previous experiences, we know it’s exactly what Five Sisters Zoo can offer this magnificent Asiatic Black bear. We’re very grateful they can offer Yampil the future he deserves.”