Ukrainian cat wins influencer award

A famous cat from Kharkiv has been given a prestigious award

A famous cat from Kharkiv who raised thousands for Ukrainian animal shelters through his Instagram account has been given a prestigious award for his efforts, Qazet.az reports.

Stepan, who has 1.3 million followers, was given the World Influencers and Bloggers Award during a ceremony at Cannes Film Festival in France on 18 May.

Money raised during the event will be spent on helping those who suffered during the war in Ukraine, its organisers said.

Stepan's owner, Anna, said the pair escaped from the north-eastern Ukrainian city in March and crossed the border into Poland before being evacuated to France, where their fundraising efforts continue.