Patron received the Order of Courage from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in May 2022 where he praised the “loyal services” of this “small, but very famous sapper […] 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.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting Patron.
He has since met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and has been photographed with UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom.
Iliev bought Patron as a puppy from a colleague as a gift to his son in 2019. He ended up being a gift to the nation.
“We were looking for a dog breed that travelled well and was compact,” Iliev – also the leader of a bomb squad in the city of Chernihiv – told a new documentary Saving the Animals of Ukraine.
“We also were looking for a certified pedigree, so we could raise him as a competitive show dog. But that never happened. The war got in the way.”
He says he doesn’t know of any other Jack Russells doing this type of work, with detection normally the domain of Labradors or German Shepherds.
At first, Patron ran for sticks, worked with a dog handler and was obsessed with cheese. But after February 24, 2022 he expanded his skill set by finishing a specialised training program. Iliev says Patron was introduced to the smell of gunpowder and got used to the sound of explosions.
“We just kept giving him explosives to sniff,” Iliev says.
When he smells it, he gives a signal to Iliev, who then works with his human teammates to find and defuse the devices.
Patron’s Instagram and TikTok accounts were started from inside a bomb shelter near Chernihiv. Wearing a small vest, he was seen sniffing and digging searching for an explosive. His customised uniform looks sharp but also serves an important purpose.
“We added a handle on top into the design,” Iliev says. “If there are wire-triggered landmines, this allows me to immediately pick Patron up and transport him to safety.”
The very first social post went viral, and he now has over 400,000 followers and is the most famous dog in Ukraine.
His profile has been harnessed by shrewd Ukrainian efforts to control the war’s narrative with viral messaging to counter Russian disinformation that aims to “develop proactive narratives” in the age-old tradition of using animals as wartime propaganda figures. A puppy plucked from the rubble and “recruited” into information warfare.
Such was his success the Kremlin spread a fake news story claiming that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church had canonised him, providing as evidence pictures of his “icon” supposedly displayed in one of the OCU churches.
Patron’s dramatic wartime exploits now form a critical part of the country’s information strategy and morale. He is also often mobilised to give demonstrations, and to visit patients in children’s hospitals, particularly in the capital.
“When Patron is coming, [the kids’] reaction is like, ‘Oh, my God, he’s here! He will tell me something very important’,” says Tetiana Kazanzhy, of UNICEF Ukraine.
Loading
But fame has not distracted Patron from his canine pursuits. He still likes playing with his friends and snacking on his favourite treats.
“Patron just loves cheese,” Iliev says. “He is a very active dog that likes to have a good run with other dogs and then, of course, sleep.”
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.