Kitten recovers after leg broken in Ukraine escape

A kitten that was injured while his owners escaped from Ukraine has recovered with the help of a vets in Staffordshire.

Svetlana Ryzhevska fled in February and when reunited with Leo three days later, discovered he was hurt.

The family relocated to the UK and the 10-month-old was operated on by West Midlands Veterinary Referrals in Barton-under-Needwood.

"The vets were amazing, absolute superstars," said Ms Ryzhevska.

"He is walking the same as before and hunting again - he's already got several mice - and seems back to his best."

Ms Ryzhevska, 42, began looking after Leo when she found him in a street in Chernihiv in October.

When Russia attacked the city in February, she and her 12-year-old son sheltered for several days in their basement before joining a convoy heading for Kiev.

They collected her daughter, who was studying in the city, and organised the escape of her parents, but Ms Ryzhevska said she had to pay a man to find and bring Leo out of the country.

"He eventually found Leo and, three days later, I finally got to hug my parents and my Leo. He was injured, though, all wounded and dirty but at least he was safe."

Having been reunited in Poland, the family moved to Stamford in Lincolnshire under the government's Homes for Ukraine scheme.

A local vet examined Leo and referred him for surgery at the Staffordshire practice, where clinical director Jon Mills said he had "recovered well".

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