Ukraine's smallest fighter against the Russian invasion arrived in the form of a tiny Jack Russell terrier - Patron.
The two-year-old dog has sniffed out more than 200 undetonated explosive devices allegedly planted by the Russian forces and was recently presented with a state award.
Patron and his owner, Mykhailo Iliev of the Civil Protection Service, received a medal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, in recognition of their service to the country.
Zelenskiy gave the award at a news conference in Kyiv with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau where Patron barked and wagged his tail, prompting laughter from the audience. Trudeau was even seen patting his pockets as though looking for a dog treat.
During the visit of @JustinTrudeau to Kyiv, @ZelenskyyUa presented the state awards to #Ukrainian deminers. Patron and his owner Mykhailo Iliev were among awardees.Roman Sukhan#StandWithUkraine️#StopRussianWar#StandUpForUkraine pic.twitter.com/67gw1KQgDp
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— MFA of Ukraine (@MFA_Ukraine) May 10, 2022
"Today, I want to award those Ukrainian heroes who are already clearing our land of mines. And together with our heroes, a wonderful little sapper - Patron - who helps not only to neutralize explosives, but also to teach our children the necessary safety rules in areas where there is a mine threat," Zelenskiy said in a statement after the ceremony.
Later that day, Zelenskyy described Patron as "a small but very famous sapper," or military engineer.
A dog called Patron, who works with SES rescuers in Chernihiv, has helped defuse nearly 90 explosive devices since the beginning of the full-scale invasion One day, Patron's story will be turned into a film, but for now, he is faithfully performing his professional duties. pic.twitter.com/2PpT8p4Yfr— Stratcom Centre UA (@StratcomCentre) March 19, 2022
The terrier was professionally trained to showcase how dogs can be trained to perform specific tasks, but focused at the start of the war to learning how to sniff out explosives, a report in TODAY stated.
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