Ukrainian Couple Risks Lives to Rescue Over 1,000 Abandoned Animals Amid War

In the midst of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, a remarkable story of resilience and compassion has emerged. According to a documentary set to premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival on October 16, 2025, a rural Ukrainian couple, Zhenye and Anatoliy Pilipenko, have turned their home into an "improbable sanctuary" for over 1,000 animals abandoned during the war.

As rockets fell and fires raged around them, the Pilipenkos faced an impossible choice: flee the violence or stay and protect their home. When a soldier asked them to care for his 37 goats, the couple's home became the largest animal sanctuary in Eastern Ukraine, with rescued chickens, donkeys, horses, and even emus finding refuge there.

Narrated by Emmy-winning actress Kyra Sedgwick, who is also serving as an executive producer, the documentary titled "The Ark" follows the Pilipenkos' harrowing yet inspiring journey. Amidst constant danger, heartbreaking loss, and an "inextinguishable reservoir of hope," the couple risked their lives and livelihoods to rescue any part of Ukraine they could, standing as a defiant testament to the unbreakable bond between a nation, its people, and the land they refuse to surrender.