Meet the cat and dog rescued by a drone from the Ukrainian front line | CNN

It is common knowledge among Ukrainian soldiers that anyone joining the military will, sooner or later, become a cat person. Felines are found in the most unlikely places on the front lines. In trenches, at checkpoints, in destroyed homes and at medical stabilization points, they are always looking for some warmth and a bit of food in exchange for cuddles and morale boosts. But even the most hardened of frontline animals sometimes find themselves in peril. That’s how, earlier this month, the Ukrainian 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade ended up using a drone to evacuate a cat and dog from the middle of the battlefield. Barsik the cat and Zagybluk the dog made regular appearances in areas held by the brigade before somehow making their way to one of its frontline positions. Since it was too dangerous for a human to come to collect the four-legged visitors from the dugout, Barsik and Zagybluk got a ride out on a drone. “The guys put them in special breathable pouches, carefully tied them to a drone, and evacuated them,” Nadiya Zamryga, the brigade’s press officer, told CNN over the phone. She said the operation required special skills from the drone pilot, who had to fly the an