Adorable Jack Russell becomes a Ukraine war hero
Originally bought as a pet, the life of Patron the Ukrainian Jack Russell was turned upside down when Russia invaded the country in Feburary.
Instead of days snuggled with his owner, two-year-old Patron (which means “cartridge” or “shell” in Ukraine) was trained to sniff out bombs, missiles and other explosive weapons.
To date, he has sniffed out more than 150 devices, and saved countless lives in the process.
Dressed in his signature State Emergency Service’s vest, Patron works with his owner Misha, from Chernihiv, northern Ukraine.
He has appeared on the social media accounts of the country’s SES, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
Misha originally bought Patron from a colleague as a gift for his son, however he was formally trained to find traces of gunpowder one month into the invasion. Once he’s detected the scent, Patron alerts Misha, who is then able to defuse the explosive.
“[Patron] works 24/7, as does a group of pyrotechnicians, and it will take about a year-and-a-half to clean up the city,” Misha said.
“He can inspire anyone with his appearance and eyes.”
The little dog’s energy is so infectious that he’s even found an enthusiastic international following, with a line of merchandise which includes stickers on Red Bubble and T-shirts from Support Ukraine.
The Jack Russell is one of more than 600 de-miners working across Ukraine to dismantle the mines, bombs and missiles left by Russia soldiers.
Patron’s Instagram boasts more than 187,000 followers, with his dedicated fans sharing drawings of him.
Images: Instagram