Ukraine Army's two-year-old dog has joined the fight against Russia. The dog called Patron is the 'soul and mascot' of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) in clearing explosives.
Patron is believed to have discovered 150 explosive devices in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Patron, which means ammo, is a service dog in Chernihiv.
Patron has gained social media fame after charming followers as well as the pyrotechnicians in Chernihiv - north of Kyiv - where he 'continues to serve', according to the Daily Mail.
Militant Dog
The dog is usually rewarded with a cheesy treat and a belly rub at the end of the day of hard work. The emergency services call the Patron 'our militant dog'.
"(Patron) continues to help pyrotechnicians in the Chernihiv region to clean the land of Russian "gifts". So be aware, look under your feet and do not upset Patron," read a Telegram post from emergency services.
54,000 Mines And Unexploded Ordnance Found
Patron's efforts have also given him a large number of fans on social media. The dog is part of the team that has found 54,000 mines and unexploded ordnance, which includes nearly 2,000 missiles across Ukraine. More than 600 deminers have been involved in such operations.
Ukrainian emergency services were clearing the Kyiv region of ammunition on Thursday. They revealed that shells are mined in the yards of private houses, along roads, in open areas, and on infrastructure. Sappers alone destroyed nearly 500 munitions in the area.
Reports have revealed that at least 20 pyrotechnic calculations of the State Emergency Service in Buchansky, Brovarsky, and Boryspil districts were involved in the clearing operations.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials in Kharkiv have warned civilians to not go near as landmines were being dropped on the city.
Last week, Ukraine's forces cordoned off an area in the east of Kharkiv and cleared a large number of small devices scattered across residential streets.
