A bomb-sniffing dog named Patron received state honors from Zelensky.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has routinely ended his nightly wartime addresses by announcing state awards for Ukraine’s soldiers. On Sunday, he honored a fighter who is perhaps the country’s smallest — a little dog named Patron.

Patron, whose name means “ammo” in Ukrainian, helps sniff out Russian mines and explosives in the northeastern city of Chernihiv and acts as a mascot of the country’s State Emergency Service.

The dog has found more than 200 explosive devices and was taught pyrotechnic work by his owner, Mykhailo Iliev of the Civil Protection Service, Mr. Zelensky said.

Patron’s rise to fame may be another facet of Ukrainian efforts to control the war’s narrative with viral messaging — experts have said that dramatic wartime tales are critical parts of the country’s information strategy.

Patron is so adored in Ukraine and beyond that he has inspired various forms of fan art in his honor. Read more

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