Russia have donated a puppy to France in a mark of solidarity, after Diesel the police dog was killed in a suicide blast on Wednesday.
The puppy – named Dobrynia – was sent by the Russian government to help ‘in the fight against terrorism’ and it’s thought it will be trained to continue the work of Diesel, who was killed in a raid on an apartment block.
The French anti-terror team, RAID, send attack dogs into volatile situations to sniff out booby traps ahead of their human counterparts. Sadly, Diesel was caught in a suicide blast which would undoubtedly have hurt or killed the officers behind her had they gone in first.
Speaking to MailOnline, a source said:
When the policemen arrived with the dog, the dog came in first and was immediately killed. The French people are sad about her death.
Dobrynia is named after a a Russian folk hero, known for his strength, love, courage and self-sacrifice – he was also Vladimir the Great’s maternal uncle and tutor.
Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev shared a picture of the puppy on social media and wrote a letter to France saying:
I ask you to accept from Russia’s police dog handlers this shepherd puppy, who will be able to take his place in the ranks of Diesel, your dog who died doing his duty.
Mark is the Gaming Editor for UNILAD. Having grown up a gaming addict, he’s been deeply entrenched in culture and spends time away from work playing as much as possible. Mark studied music at University and found a love for journalism through going to local gigs and writing about them for local and national publications.