A Russian drone attack sparked a fire on a farm in Ukraine’s northeast overnight, killing some 13,000 pigs, emergency services said on Friday.

‎Animals have suffered along with people throughout the three-and-a-half-year war. Previous Russian strikes have hit stables and zoos.

‎“About 13,000 pigs died as a result of a Russian UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attack on a farming enterprise in the Novovodolazka community,” in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine’s state emergency service said, adding that a worker of the farm was injured.

‎Photos released by the service showed pig carcasses piled up in cramped sheds that were partly burned-down, some with their roofs shattered.

‎The pigs were held in eight stalls spanning just over 13,000 square metres (140,000 square feet), all of which burned down in the fire, the emergency service added.

‎In September, seven horses were killed in the Kyiv region during a large-scale Russian attack which hit an equestrian club.

‎Zoos across Ukraine have been damaged throughout the war, with one attack killing a ram in Odesa zoo in June.

‎AFP