Russia using dolphins to defend Crimea

Russia has deployed trained dolphins to fortify their defences in Crimea, according to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

These marine forces are part of Russia’s measures to secure the Sevastopol port in Crimea, the main base of its Black Sea Fleet.

The MoD released intelligence data on Friday showing that Russia has installed at least four layers of nets and sea booms at the harbour’s entrance. These fortifications are “highly likely to have been bolstered by an increased number of trained marine mammals“, according to the intelligence briefing.

Satellite imagery underlined the MoD’s findings, showing “a near doubling of floating mammal pens in the harbour which highly likely contain bottle-nosed dolphins“. The trained marine animals are believed to be part of Russia’s strategy to counter Ukrainian divers.

The Russian navy has previously employed beluga whales and seals in Arctic waters, training them for a variety of missions.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 23 June 2023.

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— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) June 23, 2023

The full update states:

“Since summer 2022, the Russian Navy has invested in major enhancements to the security of the Black Sea Fleet’s main base at Sevastopol. This includes at least four layers of nets and booms across the harbour entrance. In recent weeks, these defences have highly likely also been augmented by an increased number of trained marine mammals.

Imagery shows a near doubling of floating mammal pens in the harbour which highly likely contain bottle-nosed dolphins. In Arctic waters, the navy also uses Beluga whales and seals. Russia has trained animals for a range of missions, but the ones housed in Sevastopol harbour are highly likely intended to counter enemy divers.”

This isn’t entirely new; there was a 2019 incident where a beluga whale, suspected to be Russian-trained, turned up in Norway’s far northern region of Finnmark, sporting a harness outfitted with a GoPro camera.