Two beluga whales have been evacuated from the Kharkiv Dolphinarium to Valencia, Spain. As the Ukrainian city has been under constant Russian attack in recent months, it was decided to move the animals to the Oceanogràfic Valencia aquarium after a Russian shell landed near the dolphinarium.
The animals were transported by road and air, the CFTS portal reports.
The rescue operation began on 17 June and involved a 12-hour overland journey to Moldova. The whales were then flown from Moldova to Valencia on a plane operated by the Azerbaijani cargo airline Silk Way. After arriving at the airport, they were transported by truck to the oceanarium.
The whales, named Plombir and Miranda, are currently adapting to their new location.
"This rescue, conducted under extreme danger, marks a historic global milestone in animal protection," said a representative of the local authorities in Valencia.
