The Russian navy has stepped up dolphin patrols around Black Sea bases, according to British military intelligence.
Russia has significantly strengthened its defenses around Sevastopol port, installing fences and nets at the entrance to the port and almost doubling the number of cages for marine mammals believed to contain bottlenose dolphins, British military intelligence said. muscle announced. report Friday. Dolphins are likely to be used to counter potential underwater sabotage. reported by NPRJust as many militaries appreciate the dolphin’s predatory instincts and ease of training.
Defense Intelligence Update on Situation in Ukraine – 23 June 2023.
For more information on Defense Intelligence Agency language usage, please see: https://t.co/ALCbH4WFSc
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/lCXZ3gySdu
— Ministry of Defense 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) June 23, 2023
In April, three “unmanned surface ships” attacked the Russian naval base in Sevastopol, damaging some Russian ships at anchor, prompting the Russian government to announce increased security measures. Reported by Politico.
#war Another video showing a drone 🇺🇦 infiltration in the port of Sevastopol in the early morning of March 22nd. One of them was blocked by a boom at the harbor entrance and exploded. The other two managed to jump over the boom, but it was already destroyed in port. pic.twitter.com/3bWHSHWwEx
— Captain (N) (@Capt_Navy) March 23, 2023
Trained marine mammals play an important role in the Russian Navy. In April 2019, a whale with a Russian harness on its back appeared off the coast of Norway, sparking speculation that the whale was a Russian military asset. Russia’s dolphin program in the Black Sea is a legacy of the Cold War, transferred to Ukraine after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and seized by Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The United States Naval Research Laboratory reportedpointed out that other Russian programs in the Arctic Ocean involve training beluga whales and seals. (Related: This Moby Dick Could Be a Russian Spy, Expert Says)
Professor of Naval History Andrew Lambert told NPR Dolphins “would be perfect for killing human divers.”
“There is no evidence that they did anything like this, or were trained to do so, but they probably do. Any diver in harbor at night would be a target,” Lambert said. told to
