An unlikely fighter for Ukraine emerged on social media in the months since Russia's invasion on February 24: Patron the dog. Patron was recently presented with Medal for Dedicated Services by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In May, Ukraine's famous mine sniffing dog and its owner were presented with their award. The pint-size Jack Russell terrier has been credited with detecting more than 200 explosives and preventing their detonation.
A storied military career
Iliev, his owner originally bought Patron as the family dog, but once he realized how intelligent the four-legged creature was, they began to negate the mines and missiles that were abandoned by Russian soldiers after they left the Ukrainian cities they were occupying.
Besides his main job of sniffing out explosives and the occasional snacking on cheese and cuddling up with his owner, Patron partakes in charity work for the greater community: Patron can be found greeting and cheering up hospitalized children a the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv.
Patron’s patriotism was first made public when a video of him jumping onto a Ukrainian soldier's lap after he sniffed debris to ensure the area was safe, was uploaded to Facebook, which then went viral.
Rescuers men pic.twitter.com/ejFzvzlIer
— Patron (@PatronDsns) July 9, 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,” Zelensky said in his speech after giving Patron and Iliev their award.
“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.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky