The Russian-Ukrainian war affected thousands of pets across Ukraine. Many lost their owners and were injured or killed. Amongst all the examples of animal cruelty, this one might be the worst.
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Daily Mail writes that cruel Russian soldiers beat a dog and booby-trapped it with a bomb in a bid to kill more innocent civilians coming to its rescue.
Dog beat so badly it couldn’t walk
The crime, aiming to undermine Ukraine’s high morale, was committed by Russian special forces, also called Spetsnaz GRU. According to one British soldier embedded with the Ukrainian International Brigade, they have been cowardly disguising themselves as aid workers.
The militants beat the dognearly to death. They then wired a bomb to it so its rescuers would be blown up along with the animal when they came to help. As the pooch was struggling to walk because of its injuries and deadly explosives attached to it, it ended up in a ditch full of rubbish. It isn't clear how long the suffering dog had been lying there. Thankfully, it was found by locals.
The brave dog was given a name and is now recovering
The smart residents of the Ukrainian town realised something wasn't right. They called the bomb disposal experts instead of approaching the dog. The 'bomb squad' were able to diffuse the explosives and rescue the pooch. It was named Fox and taken under care. It is now recovering with the Ukrainian patrol.
Sadly, the Russians use improvised explosive devices to kill unarmed civilians throughout the country, striking psychological terror into the population.
The British soldier said:
It is a 'big psychological hit' for local communities to think the Russians are among them.
Other canine celebrities rescued by Ukrainian troops
Max, a three-year-old Belgian Malinois, was still wearing a camouflaged collar typical for the Russian hounds when he was found starving. Ukrainian troops took him under their care, and the dog recovered. Max was then redeployed as a minesweeping dog after being taught to understand Ukrainian commands. He quickly became a favourite with the guards and a common sight among Ukrainian troops in Mykolaiv.
Also joining Ukraine's dog army, a Jack Russell called Patron has detected more than 200 deadly Russian landmines and unexploded bombs. He weighs 4kg, handily less than the 5kg that sets off most Russian munitions. Patron was trained to detect TNT and gunpowder since he was 6 months old. When he does, he stops rigid and stands with his nose down until his owner 33-year-old Mykhailo Iliev and his team approach. Patron was recently awarded a medal for valour by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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