Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Rebecca’s War Dog of the Week: Postcard: Ukraine’s Special Forces Dogs

By Rebecca Frankel Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent Our eyes may be directed to other parts of the world this week, but fighting in east Ukraine has worsened. In fact, according to the U.N. Human Rights office reportedly said that the fighting had entered “its most deadly period.” In these photos taken in August, armed ...

UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CRISIS-MILITARY
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CRISIS-MILITARY
Armed soldiers of the Ukrainian special force stands with a dog during a military operation against pro-Russian militants near Debaltseve, in the Donetsk region, on August 16, 2014. Diplomatic efforts to douse an international firestorm over claims that Ukraine's forces destroyed Russian military vehicles ratcheted up Saturday as Moscow demanded that Kiev allow its mammoth aid convoy to cross the volatile border. AFP PHOTO/ANATOLII STEPANOV (Photo credit should read ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP/Getty Images)

By Rebecca Frankel
Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

By Rebecca Frankel
Best Defense Chief Canine Correspondent

Our eyes may be directed to other parts of the world this week, but fighting in east Ukraine has worsened. In fact, according to the U.N. Human Rights office reportedly said that the fighting had entered “its most deadly period.” In these photos taken in August, armed soldiers of the Ukrainian special force hang out with their dog during a military operation against pro-Russian militants near Debaltseve, in the Donetsk region.

While there’s not a lot of literature out there about Ukraine’s military dogs (thought Nigel Allsopp mentions them briefly in his book K-9 Cops: Police Dogs of the World) this video shows what appears to be a compilation of Ukrainian Special Forces training their military dogs. And though it’s set against some bizarrely moody music, the drills look legit. And so do their dogs.

UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CRISIS-MILITARY

UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CRISIS-MILITARY

Anatolii Stepanov/Stringer

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.