Russia doubles number of combat dolphins to protect naval base in Crimea

The terrorist country of Russia has doubled the number of trained dolphins to protect the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, writes the Naval News portal. According to the received data, the number of units increased in the bay, and the number of animals increased from 3-4 to 6-7.

The American military expert H. I. Sutton connects such measures with the fact that before the start of the counteroffensive Kyiv announced plans to return Crimea, and the weapons received from the West combined with the effective training of the troops increased Ukraine's chances of success.

Since Sevastopol is the main base of the Navy's Black Sea Fleet, Russia wants to protect it from all possible threats, which include not only missiles and naval drones, but also elite units of Ukrainian divers, the expert says.

In connection with the measures taken, patrolling of the water area with the help of dolphins will become more frequent and cover a larger area. Marine mammals have an advantage over even the most trained combat swimmer: no human can outswim a dolphin.

Russia placed these animals on the northern side of the entrance to the harbor at the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A dolphin and beluga training center built in Soviet times is located near Sevastopol. Before the annexation of Crimea, it belonged to the Ukrainian Navy. And then Russia launched a flurry of activity here: dolphins began to be sent to Novorossiysk and even to the Tartus base in Syria.

Today, these mammals are a component of the multi-level defense of the Sevastopol base. A special purpose ship is stationed near the harbor, supported by helicopters and speedboats. The base itself is covered by a land-based version of the Grad MLRS, as well as at least five layers of anti-torpedo nets and floating barriers. In addition, the Russian military is trying to block surface and underwater approaches.

Dolphins are inside these bons and patrol in search of divers who might penetrate the barriers. The animals are moved around the base in small boats - for this, a cradle that resembles a tent is used.

The Sevastopol base also has enhanced air defense. One anti-aircraft missile complex Tor with a range of up to 15 km is parked on the breakwater next to the launchers of depth charges. Another is located on the helipad of a patrol ship anchored inside the base.

At a distance, the military object and approaches to it are also covered by anti-ship missiles, specialized artillery and long-range S-300/S-400 air defense systems. The defense is complemented by fighters based in Crimea and electronic warfare (EW).

At the same time, analysts believe that the Sevastopol base should not be considered "as an impregnable fortress", since Ukrainian naval drones penetrated the bay several times, despite the entire defense system, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine have information about its vulnerability.

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