2023-09-27 08:41:18
2023-09-27 16:41 United News Network 24 hours around the corner Ukrainian explosive detection dog “Bullet” (Patron) used his natural sense of smell to clear hundreds of landmines for the Ukrainian army during the war…
“He is a dog hero on the front line and a guardian in the hearts of Ukrainian children.” Wearing a small vest of the Ukrainian army, the explosive detection dog “Bullet” (Patron) shuttled through the frontline battlefields and used his keen sense of smell to win the war between Russia and Ukraine. Great work, and has so far assisted the Ukrainian army in clearing hundreds of landmines and unexploded bombs. Bullets can perform more than just mine clearance. In order to promote landmine safety knowledge, Ukraine made it the protagonist of the cartoon “Guardian Dog” and used it as a teaching material to teach school children about mine safety. Nowadays, “Bullet” is not only an explosive detection dog performing mine clearance tasks on the front line of the war, but its influence has also become an indestructible symbol in the hearts of the Ukrainian people.
The 4-year-old “Bullet” is a Jack Russell Terrier. It was originally the pet of Iliev (Михайло Ільєв), a technical soldier of the demining brigade in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. At first, Iliev bought the dog as a gift for his son, but soon they discovered that Bullet’s unusually sharp sense of smell, coupled with Bullet’s small size and weight of less than 5 kilograms, made it difficult to detect landmines. It posed a danger, so Iliev decided to take it to the army for mine clearance training.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While attacking, it also laid a large number of landmines. The bullets started from Chernihiv to help the Ukrainian State Emergency Service (State Emergency Service) carry out its mission. In less than three months, Russia A total of more than 236 explosive devices planted by Russia have been found.
Bullets during mine clearance work in Chernihiv. Photo/AP Photo/Patron Twitter
On March 19, 2022, the National Emergency Service posted a video of Bullet at work on Facebook, making it an international star dog overnight – in the video Bullet jumped onto a van and sat on a soldier’s lap Go out on a mission, then walk back and forth among the ruins, sniffing carefully to make sure the area is safe. Every time Bullet finds a mine, Iliev will reward it with cheese. “It loves cheese very much. To be more precise, Bullet is willing to work hard for cheese.” The cute appearance of working with bullets quickly became the representative of Ukraine’s “patriotic loyal dogs”. So far, it has accumulated nearly 420,000 followers on Instagram.
After becoming a world-famous Internet celebrity dog, the Ukrainian Postal Service also launched a charity commemorative stamp for it. A set of bullet stamps is priced at 248 hryvnia (approximately NT$215), and 8 of the stamps are presented in a humorous and satirical comic style – for example, the bullet urinates on a Russian missile in a field, or stares angrily. There are two Russian dolls hidden with grenades, and behind them are bombed-out buildings and trees, highlighting the work scene in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
After the war between Russia and Ukraine began, the General Post Office issued stamps at several critical moments, such as the sinking of the Moscow ship in April 2022, the explosion of the Crimean bridge in October, etc., which were of commemorative significance to the Ukrainian people living under the war, and also used this to support army. On August 30, 2022, the day when the bullet stamps were issued, there was a queue of people outside the Kyiv General Post Office again. People were happy to snap up this limited edition and patriotic and lovely stamps. The Postal Service said proceeds from bullet stamp sales will fund military demining operations and domestic animal shelters. Ihor Smilyanskyi, Director of the Postal Service of Ukraine, said:
“Together we are raising 1 million euros to buy more demining equipment. These (devices) may not be as cute and charming as bullets, but they will help speed up demining and give us a safe and beautiful home.”
Bullet charity commemorative stamp. Picture/Twitter
▌Becomes a star dog in school textbooks
Ukraine currently has the largest number of landmines in the world. Former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in August this year that the Ukrainian army could dig at least 5 landmines per square meter on the front line, and all of them were mined by the Russian army. planted and used to undermine Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Although the Ukrainian authorities have tried their best to clear them, as of April 2023, there are still about 174,000 square kilometers in the country, equivalent to 30% of the land, with landmine safety risks. It is conservatively estimated that it will take at least 10 years to clear them all.
These explosives are not only hidden in forests and river beds, but also buried under residential areas, streets and infrastructure. The Russian army even randomly made explosives from various items, such as toys, doors, electrical appliances, boxes, etc., plus many unexploded objects. The small size of the bomb makes it easy for children to be injured or even killed when they touch it out of curiosity.
In order to prevent more children from accidentally coming into contact with explosives, Ukraine, in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has incorporated landmine safety courses into teaching materials, and star dog bullets have also become elements of the teaching materials. In January 2023, 10 months after the war between Russia and Ukraine, Ukraine Plastic Bag Studio launched the cartoon “Patron the dog” with bullets as the protagonist, using adventure stories to discuss with children the principles of response when discovering explosives. . Before the premiere, the official Bullet Instagram account read:
“This cartoon is about me and (my cat friend) Tom, and the animal friends who have inspired us during these 10 months. These 10 months have been filled with so many wonderful stories and adventures! … But now I I won’t reveal too much here!”
Bullet charity commemorative stamp. Picture/Twitter
“Guardian Dog” teaches children how to respond when encountering suspicious objects, and uses a golden light-shaped character as the bad guy who detonates landmines. In the first episode “Destroyed Bridge”, Bullet received a mission and learned that a bridge had been destroyed. When it smelled something suspicious at the scene, it shouted the slogan “Do not touch, do not approach, call 101!” and At the end, you defeat the mine bad guys together with your fish friend.
This cartoon is also full of justice and courage. For example, in the sixth episode “Patron’s Rule”, Bullet and his cat friend Tom share each other’s brave ways. Bullet tells how when he was a child, he saw other puppies being bullied and his father stood up for him, teaching him not to be afraid when encountering bullies. In addition, Bullet was afraid of heights when he was a child, and his human friends in military uniforms comforted him, saying, “Courage is not without strength.” “Be afraid, but be willing to act when you are afraid”, and this sentence also deeply affected it. Tom, who listened to the story at the end of the film, said: “This is the spirit of the Ukrainians.”
Lesia, a teacher from Kiev. Lesya Yurchyshyn said on the BBC program that unlike traditional rigid propaganda manuals, the inclusion of bullets in teaching materials has successfully helped children absorb knowledge in an interesting and safe atmosphere. In addition, the owner of the bullet, Iliev, who is also a soldier in the demining brigade, often visits schools with bullets, making landmine awareness more vivid through interesting interactions and games. Iliev said,
“The children were very excited when they saw the real bullet. Now they can learn safety rules not only through pictures, but also through videos or games to protect themselves and their friends.”
The bullet’s great achievements have been recognized internationally, and it has met many heads of state. The picture on the left is a photo of it with British Prime Minister Sunak;… Soldiers from the demining brigade and the owner of the bullet, Iliev (left), took the bullet with them. Accept media interviews via video, the interview process…
On May 9, 2022, Ukrainian President Zelensky awarded Bullet and Iliev the Third Class Medal of Courage to thank them for their contributions to Ukraine. The award ceremony coincided with the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, who also witnessed the moment when the bullet won the award. During the ceremony, Bullet saw Trudeau barking excitedly. Zelensky also took the opportunity to jokingly ask Trudeau: “Do you have anything in your pocket?” When Iliev and Bullet accepted a video interview with the media that day, Bullet also Unable to hold back his sleepiness, he silently closed his eyes and fell asleep, which was in contrast to the way he was wagging his tail excitedly before.
Regarding Bullet’s contribution to Ukraine, Zelensky said in a statement after the award,
“Today, I would like to commend those Ukrainian heroes who have been clearing landmines for us, especially this outstanding little engineer “Bullet”, who not only helps find explosives, but also teaches our children how to deal with landmines in areas where safety regulations.”
The bullet and its owner Iliev were awarded the Third Class Medal of Courage by the President of Ukraine, and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau also witnessed the award-winning moment… Behind the Lens Ukraine Russia United Kingdom
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