Anatoly Tuptey saved two kittens because his “soul could not bear the cries.”

That’s what the Russian man told The Siberian Times after braving treacherous conditions to save two kittens trapped in an oil spill.

“My soul could not stand the screams,” Tuptey said after the oil spill in Nefteyugansk, Russia. “You never know what’s going on. I had to go see.”

Tuptey reportedly waded through the oil to rescue the kittens. He then dried them off with his T-shirt and kept them warm.

Tuptey said he brought them home, cleaned them and fed them.

“A few days earlier, I rescued people and equipment when a boat overturned,” he said. “That day, they were kittens.”

Thanks to Tuptey’s bravery, the kittens were brought from a life-threatening situation to a happy and healthy home and have even found a new friend in Tuptey’s dog, who seems to love them.