According to American experts and satellite images, underwater enclosures for dolphins have been placed in the port of Sevastopol. Dolphins are suspected to have been used to fend off enemy divers.
They are silent and can travel at speeds of up to 16 knots: the Russian military, but also the American and Israeli military use dolphins to carry out effective actions against enemy activities underwater. They can also sell weapons or detect mines.
According to US media reports, the Russian army is using military-trained dolphins to protect its fleet in the Black Sea. Two undersea enclosures have been placed at the entrance to the port of Sevastopol, the independent US Naval Institute (USNI) wrote on its news portal on Wednesday. Satellite images suggested the pens were moved there in February, around the time Russia’s attack on Ukraine began.
It is conceivable that dolphins are used to repel enemy divers who might try to enter the harbor and sabotage warships. Many of them are currently beyond the range of Ukrainian missiles.
Dolphins can detect mines
The Washington Post wrote that the US satellite photo service Maxar shares the assessment of USNI experts. The provider had made the relevant recordings available to the newspaper. Given their excellent sense of hearing, marine mammals are able to detect mines and other potentially dangerous objects, he said. The US military has also been training dolphins and sea lions to use against underwater threats since the 1960s.
The Soviet Navy trained marine mammals in the Black Sea
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 later 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.
Beluga whales are also used militarily.
Not only dolphins are trained for military purposes. In water, for example, sea lions are used, which can detect enemy navy divers underwater. They are also used in mine detection. Russia also uses beluga whales and seals as marine animals. Since the end of the Cold War, the duties of military dolphins have not been classified. These are: mine detection and marking, location of naval divers, protection of ships and ports.
Beluga whale in Norway
A trained beluga whale was captured off the coast of Norway in 2019. It is suspected to have come from a Russian program.