Insight Bureau: The Russian military is using trained dolphins during its invasion of Ukraine to protect a Black Sea naval base. According to an analysis published by U.S. Naval Institute News, two dolphin pens have been placed at the Sevastopol harbor entrance, hidden inside the shelter of a sea wall. The pens were placed there in February as reported by the submarine analyst H I Sutton, around the time Russia invaded Ukraine with full force.

The Maxar News Bureau released satellite images showing a closer view of dolphin pens in the water at the entrance to the bay.

Andrew Lambert, a professor of naval history at King’s College London, told NPR that the use of marine mammals in defence is nothing new, since they were in Sevastopol’s harbor “long before it started.” The U.S. and Russia alike, have trained dolphins as well as seals for similar purposes to this day.

“The Ukrainian work that pre-dated the seizure of Crimea was a continuation of existing programmes, and we know the Russians seem to be using other marine mammals, including belugas in the Arctic,” Lambert added in an email.

“Dolphins would be ideal for killing human divers … fast, clever, and powerful,” he added further in the email. “There is no evidence that they have done this or are trained to do so, but it is probable. Any diver in the harbour at night would be a target.” And dolphins make excellent patrol animals, he said, calling them “kind of like the guard dogs of the sea.” Lambert made a similar comparison, noting powerful dogs are used for security on land.

Echolocation-also called as SONAR- is a technique used by dolphins to detect underwater mines. Impressively, they can also find and detect things that many electronic and mechanical systems can’t. Dolphins make great divers, as compared to humans and can easily be trained too. The numerous reasons behind them being used in defence and military purposes since ages. The dolphins in the Black Sea could be tasked with counter-diver operations, according to Sutton, to defend Russia’s most significant naval base in the Sea. During the Cold War, the Soviet Navy developed several marine mammal programs, including dolphin training in the Black Sea. The unit was based at Kazachya Bukhta near Sevastopol, where it still is today.