Satellite photos show militarized dolphin pens at a major Russian naval base in Sevastopol

Satellite images show two pens with dolphins belonging to the Russian Navy at the harbor of Sevastopol, a major port on the Black Sea.

The US Naval Institute reported that Russia has deployed dolphins to protect its Black Sea naval base by foiling Ukrainian operations aimed at sabotaging Russian warships.

The pens were moved to the naval base in February after Russia invaded Ukraine.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the units of the Russian navy's marine mammal program were transferred to the Ukrainian armed forces. The units were regained by Russia after the annexation of Crimea, according to the report.

Animals in marine mammal programs are trained to find enemy combat swimmers and detect bottom mines and moored mines, according to an expert on submarine and sub- surface systems.

The US, Russia, Israel, and North Korea are all known to have military programs.