The evacuation missions became more dangerous and now, rescuers are trained by military to effectively use guns to shoot drones (which obviously means, they will carry guns). Some of the rescue teams which actively save animals near the frontline invest in armoring their vans in order to make them “safer” – of course the improvised armor is not useful in case of a direct hit but helps in case of shrapnel. If you followed our news and reports since 2022, you can see how things drastically changed over the last few months, of course some regions being more affected than others.

ROLDA, being an animal charity, will keep providing support to people with animals and homeless or abandoned animals, affected by this conflict. You continue to be the only hope they have.

(*These are the regions as per 10 December 2025, but things often change rapidly. In order to stay accurately informed, we recommend you to visit this link as often as you want which shows in real time how the frontline positions change. This is helpful to not fully count on the media which often manipulates, in both ways).

Since the war started, ROLDA kept its distance from political statements because we are a non profit, non-political entity regardless of what we feel and think as individuals. The president of ROLDA has been in Ukraine to help evacuate animals from villages located near battle areas but also to meet the people which ROLDA supports because of our donors generosity and compassion.

Animals are living in horrible conditions, especially in war zones. Shelters are in danger of being completely destroyed if a bomb accidentally falls in the wrong place. Many have already been destroyed or burned.

From the beginning of the war, the ROLDA team located just 8 km from the border with Ukraine and Moldova has been busy finding the best way to help people and animals affected by the war. We want to help the best we can, especially the animals who are left behind on the streets of Ukraine and need to be rescued, or animals from shelters in bombarded cities that lack vital resources and where the animal rescue activity can’t continue as before the war.

Even if the war stops tomorrow, the consequences of the war (depopulation, economic disaster) will have a long-term impact on these innocent people and their animals. But we will continue to help them for as long as we can.