"Russian Black Sea Fleet Deploys Dolphins in Combat... Training for Mine and Enemy Detection"

On the 27th (local time), satellite photos released by the US satellite company Maxar Technologies showed two dolphin cages installed near the pier of the naval base at Sevastopol Port in the Black Sea.
[Image source=Maxar Technologies]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Satellite images taken near the Russian Black Sea Fleet naval base have revealed the installation of dolphin enclosures, sparking criticism that the Russian military is deploying dolphins on the front lines. It is known that the Russian military has been training dolphins since the Soviet era to detect enemy divers or mines.

On the 27th (local time), according to the Washington Post (WP), the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) announced that the American satellite company Maxar Technologies revealed images from late February showing two dolphin enclosures installed near the pier of the Russian naval base in Sevastopol, Crimea. According to USNI, the Russian military is believed to have installed these enclosures as the invasion of Ukraine approached.

As a result, criticism has arisen over the Russian military deploying dolphins, an internationally protected species, in warfare. According to USNI, the Russian Navy has trained certain marine mammals, including dolphins, in the Black Sea region since the Soviet era to detect enemy divers or mines and has deployed them in some operations. Until now, marine mammal training facilities were operated in Kazacha Bukhta, a nearby village about 10 km from Sevastopol, but recent analysis suggests that the Russian military has also established such facilities within the Sevastopol naval base.

It is known that the Russian military has especially expanded dolphin unit training to protect major vessels of the Black Sea Fleet following the forced annexation of Crimea in 2014. Earlier, in 2016, the Russian Navy announced plans to purchase five more dolphins for military operations. USNI also reported that in the Arctic region, belugas (white whales) and seals, which adapt better to colder water temperatures than dolphins, are also trained.

In particular, the Russian Black Sea Fleet is presumed to be focusing heavily on fleet defense after reportedly losing its flagship to Ukrainian bombardment. On the 13th, the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s flagship, the missile cruiser Moskva, was reportedly sunk after being hit by a Neptune missile independently developed and launched by the Ukrainian military.

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