Russia has deployed trained military dolphins to its Black Sea naval base - possibly to protect the fleet from an underwater attack - according to new satellite image analysis.

Sevastopol naval base is essential for the Russian military, as it is located on the southern tip of Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014. According to the analysis of the US Naval Institute, many of the Russian ships anchored there are potentially vulnerable to attacks. underwater.

Russia has a history of training dolphins for military purposes and has used aquatic mammals to spot objects or deter enemy divers, the Guardian reports. During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union began using dolphins for military purposes. Underwater objects such as mines can be detected through them.

According to the Guardian, the US has spent at least $ 28 million to maintain its troops of dolphins and sea lions - who are also trainable - to potentially help in conflicts.

Dolphins are not the only ocean creatures the Russian military may have trained. A beluga whale spotted off the coast of Norway in 2019 is believed to have been trained by the Russian navy.