 Russia Navy is using dolphins to protect key Crimean port. United Kingdom Defense Intelligence has reported that Russia has recently stepped up the defenses of the Black Sea Fleet based in occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, and is using common bottlenose dolphins to protect it. Analysts note that Russia has been reinforcing security measures for the Black Sea Fleet base in occupied Sevastopol since the summer of 2022. These include at least four layers of nets and boom barriers at the entrance to the harbour. The defenses seem to have been recently expanded with more specially trained marine mammals. Imagery shows a near doubling of floating mammal pens in the harbour which highly likely contain bottlenosed dolphins. In Arctic waters, the Navy also uses beluga whales and seals. Russia has trained animals for a range of missions, but the ones housed in Sevastopol harbour are highly likely intended to counter enemy divers. UK Intelligence noted, Sevastopol, the largest city on the occupied peninsula, hosts the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Moscow had used the base under a lease agreement with Ukraine before illegally annexing the peninsula in 2014. The UK Defense Ministry has indicated earlier that Russian forces are preparing for a possible Ukrainian counter-attack against occupied Crimea. Local proxies are reportedly raising paramilitary forces and the military is fortifying approaches toward the peninsula.