As temperatures outside plunge, a Ukrainian pet shelter struggles to keep animals warm amid Russian attacks
A dog is seen at the Gostomel Shelter in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Jan. 23, 2026. (Anna Donets / The Kyiv Independent)
Just over 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Kyiv, the Gostomel animal shelter in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast is trying to keep more than 700 cats and dogs alive and warm as Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure leave the country facing rolling outages, scarce heat, and long stretches without power.
The shelter's small team of volunteers and full-time staff is stretched thin. The lack of electricity and heat, both essential to caring for the animals, have become this winter's biggest challenge.
"Our operating room temperature isn't normal, blood analyzers won't start. We can't even determine the animal's condition," said Maksym Skrypnyk, the shelter's operations manager.
"It's really hard when you see that you're not able to do what needs to be done."
Maksym Skrypnyk, a shelter manager, poses with his favorite cat Adolf at the Gostomel Shelter in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Jan. 23, 2026. (Anna Donets / The Kyiv Independent)
Many of these animals once had homes, but since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, hundreds of thousands of pets have been left behind as their owners fled the war zone. Skrypnyk says that in his 11 years at the shelter, including nearly four years of full-scale war, he has never faced conditions this hard. "It's really hard when you see that you're not able to do what needs to be done."
Shelter staff say that the number of animals seeking refuge has increased significantly this winter, and that they are not alone: shelters across Ukraine are strained from accommodating more pets than usual just as conditions outside worsen.
"We are asked to adopt at least 1,000 animals a month," said Mariia Vronska, the shelter's owner.
However, she admits that they will not be able to keep all the animals under their care.
"All our resources are calculated, because if we accept animals endlessly, then the shelter will be neglected," she said while adding that some animals will have to be released back onto the streets during the warmer months, after they are spayed and vaccinated.
"This winter is simply breaking all records in terms of its severity."
Mariia Vronska, the owner of the Gostomel Shelter, is seen in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Jan. 23, 2026. (Anna Donets / The Kyiv Independent)
With outages leaving the facility without reliable heat and electricity, the shelter's fuel costs have skyrocketed to keep its three generators running, forcing it to spend an extra $1,500 a month as the facilities burn up to 40 liters of fuel on some days. Vronska adds that the shelter is still being billed for electricity even when the power is out.
For more than 15 hours a day, the generator is the veterinary wing's only source of electricity, powering surgeries and other life-saving care under increasingly difficult conditions.
The shelter also relies on its boiler for heat, but has to turn it off every night to avoid fires. With no one to keep watch overnight, the animals are left in the dark and cold to survive until the morning.
"This winter is simply breaking all records in terms of its severity," Vronska said.
Despite the surge in numbers this winter, the adoption rate of older animals is significantly lower, according to Skrypnyk. He is a firm believer in treating pets with the same responsibility and respect as if "they were your own child, wife, husband, mother, or father." Only in such cases, he claims, will animals be truly safe from returning to the shelter.
Over the course of the day, the Hostomel shelter was able to take six dogs and two cats. Looking at a shivering puppy, Maksym reassured the tiny animal, "Everything is OK, you've arrived, you're safe."
