Russia has almost doubled the number of floating mammal units in Sevastopol, British defense officials said, and it is “very likely” that they will house dolphins trained to counter Ukrainian divers.

Bottlenose dolphinsPhoto: Shutterstock

Russia has almost doubled the number of floating mammal pens believed to be holding trained dolphins, according to a British assessment on Friday.

The Russian Navy, which also uses belugas and seals for missions in Arctic waters, has invested heavily in its main Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol since last summer.

This includes at least four layers of nets and barriers at the port entrance. In recent weeks, it is very likely that this defense has also been strengthened by the large number of trained marine mammals.

Images released by the UK’s Ministry of Defense show the number of floating mammal shelters in the harbor, where bottlenose dolphins are likely to be housed, has doubled.

The British Ministry of Defense believes that the mammals are trained to confront hostile divers.

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