Russia Deploys Dolphin Unit to Defend Black Sea Fleet

Highly Trained Dolphins Deployed to Guard Strategic Locations
Proposal in Parliament to Use Stray Dogs for Mine Removal

There is an analysis that Russia recently deployed additional trained dolphins to strengthen the defense system of the Black Sea Fleet.

The UK military intelligence agency, the Defence Intelligence (DI), shared a daily report on Twitter on the 23rd (local time) along with satellite images of the Sevastopol port.

Sevastopol, located on the Crimean Peninsula occupied by Russia, has been continuously targeted by drone attacks from Ukraine over the past few months. As a strategic point serving as a logistics base for Russia on the southern front of Ukraine and a Black Sea coastal city where the Russian Black Sea Fleet is stationed, claims have been made since the early stages of the war that the Russian military is using belugas (white dolphins) and seals to protect it.

In February last year, around the time Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, satellite images captured evidence of trained dolphins being released near the breakwater of Sevastopol port.

The Defence Intelligence explained, “Since the summer of 2022, the Russian Navy has been investing in significantly improving the security of the Black Sea Fleet’s main base in Sevastopol.”

It added that the Russian military installed at least four layers of nets and fences at the entrance of the port, and “it appears that trained marine mammals have been additionally deployed in recent weeks to strengthen the defense line.”

The Defence Intelligence estimated, “The photos show that the marine mammal barriers floating above the port have roughly doubled,” and “there is a very high possibility that dolphins are inside these barriers.” According to the Defence Intelligence, these dolphins were likely deployed in the port to counter enemy divers.

Beluga (white dolphin) found wearing a band presumed to be for attaching an underwater camera in the Norwegian Sea in 2019. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to a report by Naval News, a global naval specialist media outlet, Russia, which has recently faced frequent attacks by Ukrainian forces along the Black Sea coast, has mobilized more dolphins to protect the Black Sea Fleet.

Naval News reported, “At the beginning of the war, the Russian military operated a dolphin unit consisting of 3 to 4 dolphins, but currently, including newly deployed individuals, the number has increased to 6 to 7.” It added, “These dolphins are highly trained to detect targets (underwater bombs or underwater drones) and signal back to their operators (the Russian military).”

This is not the first time Russia has used animals for military purposes. Last month, a proposal was made in the Russian parliament to use stray dogs for mine-clearing operations in areas such as the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia occupies. At that time, Fedot Tumusov, a member of the Russian State Duma, said in parliament, “Our country has many experts who can teach all kinds of skills to dogs,” and added, “If we train large and aggressive dogs and send them to special military operation zones, they will help rescue the wounded and clear mines.” Also, in 2019, a dolphin equipped with a holder for an action camera and a band labeled “Saint Petersburg Equipment” appeared in Norway, leading to speculation that it had been trained by the Russian Navy.

Not only Russia but countries around the world have long used animals for military purposes such as espionage activities. The United States also deployed dolphins in the Gulf during the 2003 Iraq War to assist in underwater mine clearance operations. Additionally, German historian Rainer Foeppinghege stated, “During World War I, pigeons served as drones.” At that time, the German military equipped pigeons with ultra-small cameras with automatic shooting functions, releasing them to fly over the front lines to capture images. The German military then used these photos to identify enemy positions and shell those locations.

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