Russia is stepping up security at its Sevastopol Black Sea fleet base by deploying trained dolphins meant to detect and “counter” enemy divers, British intelligence has said.
A report made by the UK defence intelligence agency says that the Russian navy is investing in major enhancements to the Black Sea fleet’s main base in Sevastopol, a port on the occupied peninsula of Crimea.
Ukraine has begun a highly anticipated counteroffensive that has targeted infrastructure near Crimea, and has said its goal is to return all occupied lands to Kyiv’s control. The Black Sea fleet could be a main target for Ukrainian attacks, including special forces assaults or even naval drone raids.
As a result, Russia’s new defences near the base included at least four layers of nets and booms across the harbour entrance, the intelligence agency said.
“In recent weeks, these defences have highly likely also been augmented by an increased number of trained marine mammals,” it continued.
“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.”
The Soviet navy developed the trained mammal programme, which was housed in Sevastopol and remained under the Ukrainian military after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. But the programme has grown considerably since Russia occupied the peninsula and the naval base in 2014.
Russia has deployed beluga whales to its Arctic bases at Olenya Guba, which is responsible for deep-sea missions. A beluga whale spotted off the coast of Norway in 2019 was believed to have escaped from the programme. The whale, whom locals nicknamed Hvaldimir, was spotted wearing a Russian harness. Russia also deployed trained dolphins to its base at Tartus in Syria in 2015.
