Meet Rambo: The stray puppy protecting Ukrainian soldiers

Rambo the stray puppy protecting Ukrainian soldiers
(Image credit: FNTV/YouTube)

Footage of a stray puppy protecting Ukrainian soldiers has gone viral after it was uploaded to YouTube in late February. Little Rambo was found on the street by a group of servicemen who decided to adopt the puppy as their newest recruit.

“We felt sorry for him. It was freezing outside,” the soldiers explain on camera. “We took him into our post, and he stayed with us.” While he may be dwarfed in the company of the rest of his regiment, Rambo is known as their ‘protector’ who alerts them to any signs that a stranger might be nearby.

Although Rambo might be able to offer little at this stage in the way of physical protection other than alerting his friends to potential danger, he is offering those around him something they feel is much more valuable - preserving morale and keeping spirits up.

But it won’t be long before Rambo is able to offer more, having already grown rapidly in the time the soldiers have had him. “He used to be so tiny he could fit in one hand,” explains one of the servicemen. 

Rambo is part of a larger canine family who are helping give these Ukrainian soldiers something to smile about during some of their darkest days. The older dogs also offer support in other ways too, accompanying the soldiers on their missions and doing their best to keep them safe.

“The dogs, they come as guards, they help us. They react to sounds. Something that a human won’t hear, the dog will, they feel it.” As the war in Ukraine shows no signs of abating, one thing is clear - Rambo and his fellow canines are needed now more than ever. 

Kathryn Williams
Freelance writer

Kathryn is a freelance writer who has been a member of the PetsRadar family since it launched in 2020. Highly experienced in her field, she's driven by a desire to provide pet parents with accurate, timely, and informative content that enables them to provide their fur friends with everything they need to thrive. Kathryn works closely with vets and trainers to ensure all articles offer the most up-to-date information across a range of pet-related fields, from insights into health and behavior issues to tips on products and training. When she’s not busy crafting the perfect sentence for her features, buying guides and news pieces, she can be found hanging out with her family (which includes one super sassy cat), drinking copious amounts of Jasmine tea and reading all the books.