Status: 04/28/2022 2:15 p.m
Russia fears Ukrainian attacks on its Black Sea fleet – especially after the sinking of the flagship Moskva. Moscow is therefore apparently also relying on combat dolphins. Satellite images show new pens in the port of Sevastopol.
According to US media reports, the Russian Navy also uses military-trained dolphins to protect its fleet in the Black Sea. Two underwater enclosures were placed at the entrance to the port of Sevastopol, the independent US Naval Institute (USNI) wrote in its news portal.
Satellite images suggested the pens were moved there as early as February, around the time Russia’s attack on Ukraine began. It is conceivable that the dolphins will be used to repel enemy divers who might try to enter the harbor and sabotage warships. Many of them are currently out of range of Ukrainian missiles.
Satellite photo service shares assessment
The Washington Post wrote that the US satellite photo service Maxar shares the assessment of the USNI experts. The provider had made the relevant recordings available to the newspaper. Given their excellent sense of hearing, the marine mammals are able to detect mines and other potentially dangerous objects. The US military, for example, has been training dolphins and sea lions to counter underwater threats since the 1960s.
According to the US Naval Institute, based in Annapolis, Maryland, the Soviet Navy developed several marine mammal programs during the Cold War, including one using so-called combat dolphins near Sevastopol. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it went to the Ukrainian military, but then came under the control of the Russian Navy as a result of the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Since then, these programs have been expanded.
Animal helpers in war
dolphins: In the military, for example, they are supposed to track down weapons or set mines against enemy ships.
sea lions: Similar to dolphins, the mammals are supposed to track down terrorists, spies or enemy navy divers under water and sound the alarm. They are also used in mine detection.
Dogs: The four-legged friends use their fine sense of smell to sniff out the explosive scent of explosives and other chemicals in landmines. They are intensively trained to detect both metal and plastic mines.
rats: They are also used in mined areas. According to the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining, a group of rats is just as productive as a pack of sniffer dogs, but saves a lot of money.
bees: The insects are said to be more effective when searching for mines than expensive search devices and sensitive sniffer dogs. Tens of thousands of bees can search a large area in a relatively short time without accidentally setting off mines. The trained animals are trained, for example, to associate the smell of the explosive material with food. They then swarm near buried mines hoping to find food there.
horses: They are used for military transport. The mountain troops of the Bundeswehr, for example, maneuver through the most remote passages with their mules and Haflingers. Mules can carry up to 140 kilograms of weapons and equipment.
With material from dpa