Social media star cat Stepan's owner evacuates him from Kharkiv

The photo and video were posted on Stepan's Instagram page.

"Dear friends! We are safe and now on our way to Europe," the story reads.

As seen in the photo, Cat Stepan left Kharkiv along with his feline companion, Stephania.

It is currently unknown which European city they are heading to. 

Earlier, on January 26, media reported that Stepan the cat fell ill as a result of the Russian attack on Kharkiv on January 23.

"After the horrific attack on Kharkiv on January 23, I started to feel bad due to stress. Now everything seems to be fine, I am under the professional supervision of the best doctors. I go to the hospital with my mom every day. Today I had 3 injections, and I'm still taking my medication at home. Thank you to everyone who was worried about me, everything will be fine," he said in a statement.

What is known about cat Stepan

Cat Stepan is a cat from Ukraine who has gained worldwide popularity on social media due to his unflappable character. He has more than one and a half million followers on TikTok and Instagram. Born in 2008, he is a native of Kharkiv. Stepan's owner, Hanna, found him as a little kitten.

On March 28, 2022, Cat Stepan raised over $10,000 and donated it to charity. The funds were sent to animal shelters and a zoo in Mykolaiv.

On April 9, 2022, media reported that Cat Stepan, who moved with his owners from Kharkiv to France after the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was nominated for the prestigious World Influencers and Bloggers Awards 2022. Later, he received the Influencers and Bloggers Award in Cannes.

On August 22, 2022, the project Preserve Ukrainian Culture was launched in Ukraine to raise funds for the restoration of heritage destroyed by the Russian army. Cat Stepan became one of the ambassadors.

On September 21, 2022, it was announced that the cat-blogger had returned to Ukraine. He settled in Lviv with his owner. In March 2023, Stepan returned to Kharkiv.