Ukrainian rescuers share footage of puppies being pulled from rubble after building fire

The video showed the tiny puppies squealing as the firefighters held them in their hands and rinsed them off with water

Rescue workers in Ukraine have pulled five puppies from beneath the rubble of a destroyed building, in a video released by the country's emergency services.

Officials said the puppies were rescued from a non-residential building that was on fire in the northeastern city of Sumy, close to the border with Russia.

The video shared on Friday showed the puppies squealing as the firefighters held them in their hands and rinsed them off with water.

It wasn't immediately clear when the rescue took place or what caused the fire.

“Fortunately, everything is fine with the little one(s), they were not injured. The furries were returned by their mother,” officials said in a post on the emergency services' Telegram channel.

“This rescue story reminds us of the importance of human compassion and the willingness to help everyone, regardless of the circumstances," they added.

A number of animal rescue stories have emerged from Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

A black bear was successfully rehomed at a zoo in Scotland in January, while a lioness and her three cubs were moved to a wildlife park in Doncaster in March.

Human rescue efforts have been widespread as Russia bombarded towns and cities across the country.

The latest report by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, published in February, said a total of 10,582 civilians had been killed since February 24, 2022, and a further 19,875 injured.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed in February that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in action in the two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

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