In an attempt to bolster its naval protection, the Russian Navy has deployed trained military dolphins at its Black Sea naval base to protect its fleet from an underwater attack by divers or Swimmer Delivery Vehicles, SDVs.

Naval analyst H I Sutton on Twitter was the first to determine the usage of naval military dolphins by Russian in Sevastopol. While the Sevastopol harbor is out of range for Ukrainian missiles, it is not out of range for Ukrainian Special Forces to attack Russian naval vessels docked in the harbor. Until the recent sinking of the Russian cruiser Moskva, the Kremlin had taken a dim view of Ukrainian naval operational ability, they appear to be taking nothing for granted now.

According to Sutton, satellite images of the Sevastopol harbor appear to show two dolphin pens were present at the entrance to the anchorage at Sevastopol Sutton says that the move could be a preventive measure against Ukrainian special forces sabotaging and destroying Russian warships as marine animals have been trained in the past for these specific purposes.

Not A New Military Program

Russia has an extensive history of using marine animals including dolphins and beluga whales for military purposes (particularly during the Cold War), specifically for them to retrieve objects, monitor waters for enemies and attacks, or sweep for mines.