Mine-Sniffing Dog Receives Ukrainian Medal Of Honour For Saving Hundreds Of Lives

The cutest mine-sniffing hero has been given a medal of honour by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Patron, a pint-sized Jack Russel terrier, has been recognised for detecting more than 200 explosives during Russia's invasion in Ukraine.

Patron has become a symbol of patriotism and has been honoured for his bravery by President Zelenskyy at a news conference in Kyiv with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

The proud little boy wagged his tail as he made his way up to the President to collect his award.

Patron the dog keeps working hard — just yesterday, he helped defuse 262 items of explosive ordnance near #Chernihiv. We are very proud of our very good boy. pic.twitter.com/hw4zyA8S9R

— Stratcom Centre UA (@StratcomCentre) May 1, 2022

Zelenskyy said in a statement: “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 neutralise explosives but also to teach our children the necessary safety rules in areas where there is a mine threat.”

Get that dog a treat immediately. 

Patron’s handler is Myhailo Iliev, a major in the Civil Protection Service, who was also awarded the Ukrainian medal of honour. 

Patron has become an expert in sniffing out undetonated bombs and land mines for the past few weeks.

Using his sharp sense of smell he digs out the explosive ordnance before his handlers defuse the bombs. A hero for all humans and dogs alike. 

Patron has become a humble symbol for Ukraine's resistance during Russia's invasion of the country, along with the likes of the Snake Island Heroes, and the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’.

The famous Ukrainian hero who told Russian officers to 'go f**k yourself' on Snake Island returned home last month after being captured and was also awarded a medal for his services. 

The defiance in Hrybov's response back to the Russian soldiers became a war cry for all of Ukraine and it was even immortalised into a postal stamp.

Roman Hrybov, the author of the famous “Russian Warship, Go F*** Yourself” phrase, returned from Russian captivity to his native Cherkasy region. Glory to the Hero! #GlorytoUkraine pic.twitter.com/uruPgkBLGv

— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) March 29, 2022

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force admitted 'The Ghost of Kyiv' wasn’t a sole fighter pilot that has wreaked havoc on the Russian Air Force.

According to the BBC, some people had claimed online that The Ghost of Kyiv was responsible for taking out up to 40 enemy planes.

However, the Ukraine Air Force Command posted a message on its Facebook in an effort to stop people from posting misinformation, saying that the symbol was a ‘superhero-legend whose character was created by Ukrainians!’

While the Ghost of Kyiv may not be real, the Ukrainian resistance certainly has been.

According to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Russia has lost 25,500 personnel, 1,130 tanks, 509 artillery systems, and 199 aircraft since they invaded the nation.