A three-year-old Belgian Malinois that was abandoned by Russian soldiers has swapped sides in the war after being trained to understand Ukrainian commands.
The dog, named Max, is now helping Ukrainian forces sniff out unexploded mines after being nursed back to health.
Max was close to death and surviving on rotting food when he was found near the Mykolaiv region.
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The special forces war dog was with the Russian army when they captured a village near the Black Sea, according to the Daily Star, then left behind by Vladimir Putin’s troops when they retreated from the area.
Max’s story was shared on the National Guard of Ukraine’s Facebook, with Dmytro, a National Guard fighter, noting that the adorable hound had belonged to Putin’s forces.
After Max was ditched, a local Ukrainian family nursed him back to health before handing him over to their country’s forces.
Max still had a Russian military dog camouflage collar around his neck when he was found.
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Dmytro added: “Max is in excellent physical shape. He knows all the basic commands.
“So far, he understands teams only in the language of the occupiers, but Ukrainian language classes have already begun."
He went on: “From now on, Max will serve on the right side, defending Ukraine and nibbling Russian asses.”
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One of his comrades gushed that Max has ‘become a real favourite with the guards’.
“We can’t understand why the Russians would leave behind such a lovely animal. Ukrainians love dogs, they regard them as part of the family,” he said.
Speaking to the Daily Star, a British special forces soldier noted that despite Malinois being ‘tremendously loyal’, Max has clearly taken to Ukrainian soldiers.
“Max has obviously been convinced that the Ukrainians are now his new masters,” he explained, adding: “Malinois are the same breed used by the SAS and the SBS. They are brave, highly intelligent and athletic animals.”
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The special forces soldier also expressed his surprise that Russians would even leave behind a dog like Max, noting that they’re a ‘highly-prized asset’.
He compared Max’s abandonment to leaving behind a family member.
It comes days after Russia announced it will stop exporting natural gas to Finland, just 48 hours after the Nordic country announced its intentions to join NATO.
Russia cut supplies at around 4.00am on Saturday, 21 May, despite Finland reassuring its citizens that there would be no disruption to its services.
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Aisha Nozari