A storm that hit the Black Sea at the beginning of last week caused major damage along the coast. But among the victims of the wind’s cruelty was the port of Sevastopol in Crimea, where the Russian navy kept its military dolphins. It is currently unclear whether the animals are still in their cages or have taken the chance to escape. However, one thing is known: the cages were severely damaged.
The information in question was put forward by journalist HI Sutton, who identified the situation after reviewing recent satellite images. Sutton claims that a major storm hit Crimea on November 26 and 27, and 100 percent of the dolphin cages in Sevastopol harbor were damaged.
***UPDATE***
Here -> https://t.co/JNp29b73XLA massive storm battered Crimea on the Nov 26-27. Preliminary analysis reveals that the dolphin pens in Sevastopol harbor are gone(!) 100%
It is plausible that some or all of the trained dolphins have been freed. #OSINT pic.twitter.com/hRTwX6dp8l
— H I Sutton (@CovertShores) November 28, 2023
It has been suspected for some time that Russia used trained military dolphins during its invasion of Ukraine. In fact, in April 2022, the US Naval Institute (USNI) claimed that the animals were used to protect Russia’s naval base in the Black Sea. At the beginning of last February, two dolphin cages were set up at the entrance of Sevastopol port.
The Russian ships at the base may be out of range of Ukrainian missiles, but they could be sabotaged via underwater. Therefore, it is thought that this is the reason for the presence of dolphins in the harbour.
After the collapse of the USSR, dolphins trained during the Cold War began to be used by the Ukrainian army. However, when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, it recaptured the dolphins. According to Ukrainian sources, although Russia tried to expand the program, some of the “marine soldiers” refused to help and went on hunger strike and lost their lives.
On the other hand, Russia is not alone in this water defense method. Many navies use trained dolphins and whales for special tasks such as removing objects from the seabed and locating mines, as well as protecting ships and bases.
Besides dolphins, the Russian navy also uses beluga whales in its military activities. In 2019, a spy beluga with the words “St. Petersburg Equipment” was spotted in Norwegian waters. Norwegian biologists named this whale, which they believed might have escaped from its cage, Hvaldimir. Hvaldimir has since been seen exploring the waters around Sweden.
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