The Instagram-famous cat escaped war-torn Ukraine and took refuge in France during the Russian bombing of Kharkiv.
Stepan, 13, who has over a million followers on the platform, has become popular for his funny photos thanks to his characteristic grumpy poses.
Its owner (a woman named Anna) updates her Instagram account (@loveyoustepan) regularly, so when there was no post for almost two weeks from March 3 to March 16, fans began to worry that they might have been injured or killed in the attacks. . to Kharkov, where they live.
The city, the second largest in Ukraine, is about 25 miles from the Russian border, making it a prime target. Although Russian troops have not yet succeeded in capturing it, since the end of February it has been under incessant bombardment.
After not posting on social media since March 3, Stepan’s fans have become concerned that he and his family may have been killed in a bomb blast in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, where he lives.
Stepan looked terrified in pictures taken during the family’s grueling journey from Ukraine to France (left), a far cry from the fun “laid-back skinny” pictures that made him famous and amassed a legion of over 1 million fans (right) .
Stepana’s owner Anna also shared this image of Saltovka, a residential area in their city of Kharkiv that was ruthlessly bombed by Russia.
Anna took to the platform this week to reassure her followers that Stepan and she are safe and have taken refuge in France after leaving Ukraine.
The post, featuring images of a frightened Stepan in a travel bag and on a train, was accompanied by a long caption detailing the grueling trip from Ukraine.
“On February 24, early in the morning, we slept at home. At 5 in the morning there was some kind of explosion, and I didn’t even understand what it was, ”she said.
“Some time later, half an hour later, the explosions were repeated, the windows trembled. I jumped up and realized that something terrible was happening!
“Attack and shelling of Kharkov (especially in northern Saltovka, where we live). We realized that the war had come to our house.”
The post added that the neighboring houses are shelled daily, and although their own building remained intact for a week, on the eighth day it was damaged after a shell hit their neighbors’ balcony.
Anna shared a photo of Stepan in his travel bag when the couple fled Kharkov. Thousands of fans have shared their relief to know they are safe.
The pictures of Stepan shared by Anna are a far cry from the pre-war looks his fans love so much, like this picture of a cat wearing a bow tie taking a selfie.
In a long Instagram caption, Anna said that “the war has come to [their] house’, and she had to run away with Stepan
It said: “There was no fire. Thank God! In two or three dozen apartments, all the windows fell out. Also, two shells fell into our front yard.
“We spent two nights in the basement and a week without electricity. We had to go to the nearest basement to charge our phone. Then we managed to leave the city. Kharkiv volunteers helped us get to the station.
“We boarded the Kharkov-Lvov train (in 20 hours we got to Lvov). Then we went to the border with Poland. At the border, we queued up at the pedestrian crossing. There were a lot of people (4-5 thousand). After 9 hours we crossed the border.
“When we arrived in Poland, we were offered help by the World Association of Influencers and Bloggers from Monaco.
Fans of the famous cat have taken to social media to share their sense of relief that he and Anna are safe, with many saying they were worried.
“They helped us get to France to wait for the day when we could return home. We’re all right. We are very worried about our relatives in Ukraine and will do our best to help our country.”
The post, which received almost half a million likes, generated a lot of comments from worried fans.
One wrote: “I cry with joy that you are all safe. I was so worried!
Another added: “So glad to hear you are safe now. Thank you for sharing this terrible experience with us. We are with you!
A third wrote: “We love you, Stepan and Anna, so glad that you are both safe.” I will check on you every day.