• I’ve seen a fair amount of Russian troops with kittens/cats. I don’t think it’s propaganda though. It’s a very different type of war with static positions that get fortified. Even the stuff from the soldiers from the ukraine probably has organic elements.

      Soldiers spend time in a place that had/has people and an animal presence. Somebody finds a stray in need of care and brings the new friend to their station after establishing a bond with kindness in situation the animal isn’t equipped to understand and/or food. It’s a tale as old as war.

      Doesn’t even have to be domestic. There’s that famous artillery bear. I also read a book that claimed an officer got fragged in Vietnam because he made a marine give up an orphaned tiger cub he took back to the FOB.