Mine-detecting dogs excel in Ukraine... "Receive cheese upon mission success"

Patron (2), a Jack Russell Terrier breed working as a mine detection dog, is protecting citizens by finding hundreds of explosives in the Chernihiv area of northern Ukraine.
[Photo by Instagram]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A dog that has been safely protecting citizens by detecting hundreds of explosives left behind by Russian troops in Ukraine is gaining attention.

On the 16th (local time), the British daily The Telegraph introduced Patron (2), a Jack Russell Terrier breed working as a mine detection dog in the Chernihiv area of northern Ukraine. 'Patron' means 'ammunition box' in Ukrainian.

Chernihiv, located on the route to the capital Kyiv (Kiyev), faced fierce attacks from Russian forces immediately after the outbreak of the war. Although Russian troops withdrew at the end of last month, it is reported that they left explosives scattered in various places.

In this situation, Patron has been deployed on site, sequentially finding explosives and booby traps hidden among the debris. According to Ukraine's Strategic Communications Center, Patron, who has been responsible for mine detection duties since six months old, is currently contributing to explosive removal while wearing military dog combat gear alongside members of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU).

SESU also shared on their official Instagram account that "when Patron successfully completes a mine detection mission, he is given his favorite food, cheese, or his belly is rubbed."

Meanwhile, according to The Telegraph, a dog's olfactory system in the brain is about 40 times larger than that of humans. Since World War II, dogs have been assigned roles to detect explosives or drugs through their sense of smell, and currently, more than 750 dogs are internationally deployed in humanitarian mine detection programs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.