A National Guard of Ukraine serviceman poses for a photo with a service dog in the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Oct. 7, 2023. (Interior Ministry/Telegram)
The National Guard of Ukraine's 5th Separate Slobozhanska Brigade awarded their service dogs for helping protect the country amid war, the Interior Ministry said on Oct. 7.
Representatives of the unit's command congratulated the dogs and their handlers at an award ceremony that took place in Kharkiv's central square.
National Guard of Ukraine servicemen pose for a photo with service dogs in the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Oct. 7, 2023. (Interior Ministry/Telegram)
Medals for service dogs of the National Guard of Ukraine. (Interior Ministry/Telegram)
A National Guard of Ukraine serviceman poses for a photo with a service dog in the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Oct. 7, 2023. (Interior Ministry/Telegram)
A National Guard of Ukraine serviceman poses for a photo with a service dog in the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Oct. 7, 2023. (Interior Ministry/Telegram)
A service dog with the National Guard of Ukraine in the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Oct. 7, 2023. (Interior Ministry/Telegram)
"They continue to serve and protect our country from all existing wartime threats," the ministry said in a Telegram post.
The Interior Ministry oversees the National Guard, whose units – including the 5th – are fighting on the war's hot spots with the regular Armed Forces and Territorial Defense brigades.
Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine.
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