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.

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.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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29 COMMENTS

  2. Presume Russian whales should be termed Orcas, but frankly, at a loss to name Russian dolphins. 😉. Any suggestions? Sad, will never be able to really trust the next dolphin I meet off American beaches. Really an unfortunate development for Mad Vlad, even if the Ukrainians or his own henchmen do not eviscerate him, the good folks from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) just may dispatch him upon learning about this. Let me see…they have to have a phone number or website…,😁

    • What a shame for the building. Whether these attacks will put Russians off from fighting or reinforce there will to fight is a bit of an unknown. Hopefully it puts them off.

    • OT what’s your take on Wagner and the current “internal issues” currently in Russia and specifically Rostov? Personally, could be a long term plan between Putin and Prigohzin, with a loose agreement with Ukrainian black ops politics, to blame the Russian head sheds mil for the debacle in Ukraine, say they were lying to Putin, therefore releasing him from blame, enabling him to thank Prigohzin with open arms, execute Russian head sheds, call a ceasefire and make Priggy his right hand man? More complicated probably, your thoughts mate?

  6. Russia uses dolphins, wow. I thought they just used Turkeys. (Airbourne take note: This is a Russian attempt at a joke).

  10. Apperantly Russian Wagner leader Yevgen Prizogin has rebelled and has taken Roston and annouced he was marching onto Moscow because he said that his men were being used as canon fodder, but Putin nearly trembling with worry made an agreement that he would the leader would live in Belarus and not be tried for the criminal charges Putin charged him off annoucing him as a ‘traitor’ I knew it would happen one day even Putin’s on S.S has rebeled 😜😉😁🕵

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