Ukrainian journalist’s hedgehog rescue offers light amidst the devastation of war

Amid the devastation in Ukraine covered by AFP journalist Arman Soldin, 32 years old, one moment stands out as a touching act of kindness in the face of war—the rescue of a wounded hedgehog. Unfortunately, Soldin lost his life to rocket fire just days after sharing the heartwarming story on Twitter. The thread documents the journey of nursing the hedgehog called Lucky back to health and has been viewed tens of thousands of times.

On April 30, Soldin tweeted, “He might be missing his right eye, but the guy has a good nose!” along with a video of a recovering Lucky exploring some bushes outside. The tweet was followed by a farewell: “Goodbye and good luck, Lucky!”

The story of Lucky began when one of Soldin’s team members, wearing body armour and a helmet, stepped into a crater to retrieve the hedgehog. They decided to take Lucky with them, and Soldin tweeted about how they found an ammunition box and recreated a grassy environment for him in the back of their car.

Nursing Lucky back to health required researching baby hedgehog care and using supplies from their medical kits to make a feeding bottle. Soldin shared images of the rescued animal sleeping and recovering, including videos of him exploring the house and garden. The touching tale even inspired a Ukrainian hedgehog shelter to include Soldin’s name in their official title.

Despite the heartwarming story, Soldin was careful to remind his Twitter followers that a brutal war was still taking place, and millions of people were displaced. He urged them to continue supporting NGOs in efforts to provide assistance, reports Bangkok Post.