Russia has deployed military dolphins to protect the entrance of its naval base in the Black Sea, revealed satellite images. The deployment aims to protect the Russian fleet from an underwater attack.
US Naval Institute released satellite images that showed dolphin pens were moved to the gates of Sevastopol Harbour, Crimea in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine, according to the Daily Mail.
How Do Military Dolphins Attack?
These trained dolphins are capable of fighting invading divers, planting mines and carrying explosives.
The mammals were seized in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and conscripted Ukraine's spy dolphins to use against them.
Ukraine inherited Crimean State Oceanarium, which trained mammals, after Soviet Union's collapse.
In 2014, Russia took control of Ukraine's 13 elite units of dolphins and a number of sea lions.
These dolphins are capable of attacking the enemy with special knives and guns that are fixed on their heads.
When Did Russia Start Using Military Dolphins?
The Soviet Union began using bottlenose dolphins as naval assets in 1973 from Sevastopol.
Across the world, two dolphin training centers are believed to be operational. One is run by Russians in Sevastopol and another is run by US Navy in San Diego.
Why Do Bottlenose Dolphins Are Used In Spying?
The US began its military dolphins' program in 1959. The US Navy started the training after it was revealed that bottlenose dolphins are able of delivering messages and can easily identify threats.
Russian Navy Also Uses Whales As Naval Asset
Dolphins and sea lions are not the only ocean creature that Russia uses as spies. In 2019, a beluga whale was spotted off the coast of Norway which was believed to have received training from the Russian navy.
Fishermen reported a beluga whale wearing strange harnesses, which may have held cameras, harassing their boats, pulling on straps and ropes from the side of boats, according to The Guardian.
