Russo-Ukrainian War: Patron, the bomb-sniffing dog that became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, is honored

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy typically ends his day-to-day part of the war by announcing state awards for soldiers fighting on the front lines against Russia. This Sunday is no exception, except the venerable it was not a human but a landmine detection dog named Patronwhich assisted in the removal of more than 200 explosives.

At a ceremony in kyiv, the president presented a medal to the owner of a two-and-a-half-year-old Jack Russell terrier, which has become a kind of national hero and symbol of Ukrainian resistance. Standing next to Zelensky was Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who visited to announce that Canada would deliver more weapons to Ukraine.

“I want to reward the Ukrainian heroes who are already cleaning up our land. And among our heroes there is a wonderful boy named Patron which helps not only to neutralize explosives, but also to teach our children the necessary safety rules in areas where there is a threat of mines, ”Zelensky said at the ceremony.

The patron, which means “bullet”, has become a figure celebrated by everyone in the country, and a focal point of Ukrainian patriotism. He always appears in videos and messages on all social media channels of the government.

The Center for Strategic Communications of Ukraine (a government agency created to counter Russia’s disinformation and aim to “build proactive narratives” and “strengthen Ukraine’s image”) shared photos of the ceremony on Twitter at reached nearly 900,000 views.

The figure of the Patron is so highly valued in the country that Ukrainians have offered various artistic expressions to him, in the format of what is considered of art. He was admired by children, and, as Zelensky said, he was the protagonist of an information campaign conducted by the government to inform public about the dangers of landmines.

In Kharkov and other regions of the country, explosives have become a major concern for Ukrainian officials, after learning that, upon their departure from a territory, Russian forces are planting landmines and bombs.