In a fascinating and dangerous case, a Ukrainian, who was trying to avoid mobilization, illegally crossed the border with Romania. Accompanied by his kitten, the man tried to overcome the mountains, but almost became a victim of harsh weather conditions. According to the AR agency, he was saved by Romanian rescuers who quickly responded to the situation.
According to his information, rescuers from Maramures county in northern Romania rescued 28-year-old Ukrainian Vladyslav Duda from a mountain gorge, who fled Ukraine from mobilization with a kitten named Persik.
Duda was found late last week in a 400-meter-deep gorge in the north of Maramures. The man had signs of severe hypothermia, he was "wet and frozen."
At first, they tried to evacuate the Ukrainian by helicopter, but due to difficult weather conditions, these plans had to be abandoned. So the Romanian rescuers went with him through deep snow at temperatures down to minus 10 degrees Celsius.
When the rescuers unbuttoned Vladyslav's jacket, they found a kitten under it.
"The kitten was warm and kept him warm... so it saved his life," Maramures mountain rescue chief Dan Benga told AR.
Duda himself said that he worked as a journalist in Ukraine and left his home in the Kharkiv region more than a week ago to avoid mobilization.
"What I remember is the fear of the unknown and the fear of not surviving that night. My Peach saved me. When we fled, we were afraid of everyone, lest we be sent to war," said the man.
Duda is currently being treated for the effects of hypothermia.
It is reported that since the beginning of the war in February 2022, more than 160 Ukrainian men were rescued in Maramures, and another 16 were found dead.
