Russia “sent DELPHINE to protect Black Sea naval base when invasion of Ukraine began”
- US satellites have found that Putin has deployed “spy dolphins” to protect a key Black Sea port
- Enclosures of the tactful marine mammals were moved to the Sevastopol naval base before the invasion
- Dolphins used to ‘back dive’ to protect the harbor from an underwater incursion
- They can also reportedly carry bombs, lay mines, and attack enemy divers
- Sevastopol warships out of Ukraine’s missile range but vulnerable to sabotage
- Images show the flagship Moskva being stored in Crimea port before sinking
The Russian military used highly trained “spy dolphins” to secure its Black Sea naval headquarters, satellites have apparently shown.
Images released today by the US Naval Institute show dolphin pens being moved outside the gates of the port of Sevastopol in Crimea in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine.
Dolphins are used by the Russian military for counter diver operations.
The wily mammals being trained at the Crimean State Oceanarium can reportedly fend off invading divers, carry bombs and even lay mines.
American satellite images show the floating dolphin enclosures on the harbor wall (labelled)
A small Russian ‘spy dolphin’ carries a bomb during a training exercise (photo date unknown)
Russia took control of the dolphin unit after annexing Crimea in 2014. Moscow claimed the mammals “defected” to Russia.
The Soviet Union began training military dolphins in Sevastopol almost fifty years ago.
The port is home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet – and numerous valuable warships, including the flagship Moskva before it sank.
Ukrainian missiles don’t have the range to reach targets stationed in Sevastopol, but Kyiv may well send underwater saboteurs to penetrate the base.
The tactful mammals can reportedly repel invading divers and even lay mines (file image)
The photos suggest that Russia brought dolphins to the entrance of Sevastopol in late February, days before it launched its full-scale invasion on February 24.
The US Navy’s San Diego-based Marine Mammal Program was formed in 1959 after discovering that bottlenose dolphins were adept at relaying messages and detecting threats at sea.
But keeping military dolphins isn’t always easy. In 2013, two-thirds of Russia’s military dolphins strayed into the Black Sea without permission – apparently in search of love.
An Army source told MailOnline: “They left a naval exercise and did maneuvers of an amorous nature. They swam off to look for mates.”
Russian army trainers work with the marine mammals so they can protect valuable naval assets
The news emerged when a family of dolphins evacuated from an aquarium in war-torn Kharkiv was photographed swimming in a safe haven in Odessa.
In a Facebook post yesterday, the Kharkiv Dolphinarium thanked its “brave and committed” trainers for their efforts.
Dolphinarium Odessa reports: “You have already passed the veterinary examination, adapt[ed] to a new home and [are] Away from the stress.’
White whales and a newborn dolphin with their mother and father have remained in Kharkiv, where workers are still trying to find them new homes.
A pair of dolphins relax at the Odessa Dolphinarium after being evacuated from Kharkiv yesterday