Humans have a long history of deploying wild beasts in wartime, from horse-mounted cavalry to Hannibal riding into Rome on an elephant. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2023, a mysterious group of dolphins appeared in the Black Sea. It signaled a return to an old program that many thought had died with the fall of the Soviet Union. For years, the USSR trained dolphins to advance their military goals. And so did America. Special thanks to:Pavel GoldinSergei Dobrynin and Mark KrutovBlair IrvineSources:Frontline’s The Story of Navy Dolphins: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/whales/etc/navycron.htmlBBC's Secrets of the Spy Whale: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002504pSergei Dobrynin and Mark Krutov’s reporting: https://www.svoboda.org/a/31006448.htmlSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related