UK Helping To Train The Dogs Of War

This week some four-legged friends were among the Ukrainian recruits eager to learn new skills in the U.K. as part of Operation Interflex.

As per a Ministry of Defence (MoD) press release, the second group of Ukrainian military dog handlers from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine arrived on our shores as part of the ongoing training programme which has already upskilled about 45,000 Ukrainian personnel since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

A total of 16 handlers have already been trained by the British Army on two courses this summer by members of the 1st Military Working Dog (MWD) Regiment. Training modules for man's best friend on the battlefield includes combat operations and searching for explosive devices.

The three-week course also includes how to conduct effective patrols and demonstrates the methods used to ensure that U.K. military working dogs become acclimatised to the sights, sounds and smells of the battlefield, helping them to work safely and efficiently with their handlers.

According to stats included in the MoD statement, this year alone  Ukrainian working dogs have been used to prevent 950 border violations, helping seize 87.5kgs of drugs, nearly 20,000 piece of ammunition, 150 mines and 32kgs of explosives.

Meanwhile, after more than two years of conflict vast areas of Ukraine are covered with unexploded ordnance; with a sense of smell more than 40 times more acute than that of a human, military dogs are expert in locating them, so the explosives can be destroyed or deactivated.

And as well as their skills, the dogs are of course also valued for the emotional support and stress reduction they can provide personnel on the front line.

Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard commented: "Military working dogs perform and invaluable role in both combat, mine-clearing and border operations and this training will help protect both Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. We owe a debt of gratitude to our four-legged friends who offer a unique and irreplaceable service to both the U.K. and Ukrainian militaries."

• You can read more details on the MoD website