Russia is utilizing educated dolphins and different marine mammals to bolster its defences at a Black Sea port, British intelligence suggests.

UK Defence Intelligence imagery has proven a big improve in floating mammal pens at Sevastopol Port in Crimea, which it believes are more likely to include bottle-nosed dolphins educated to establish and counter enemy divers.

Russia's Black Sea fleet has its essential base on the port, which is a possible goal after Ukraine launched its long-awaited counter-offensive earlier this month.

A Ministry of Defence report says the Russian Navy has been investing in main safety enhancements on the base since final summer time, together with no less than 4 layers of nets and booms throughout the harbour entrance.

The report continues: "In recent weeks, these defences have highly likely also been augmented by an increased number of trained mammals.

"Imagery exhibits a close to doubling of floating mammal pens within the hardbour which extremely probably include bottle-nosed dolphins. In Arctic waters, the navy additionally makes use of Beluga whales and seals.

"Russia has educated animals for a spread of missions, however the ones housed in Sevastopol harbour are extremely probably meant to counter enemy divers."

A Beluga whale which has been noticed on quite a few events in recent times off the Scandinavian coast and sporting a harness fitted with a GoPro digital camera is suspected of getting been educated by the Russian military.

The Black Sea fleet has been the goal of numerous drone assaults since Russia invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In April, Russian ships stationed in Sevastopol have been attacked by “three unmanned high-speed boats" a number of days earlier than a gas depot within the metropolis was the topic of a drone assault.

Russia illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014.