Russian military shares puppy video
Puppies in the snow were a switch from the usual clips of aircraft and weapons.
MOSCOW -- Russia's military, trying to show a fluffier side, has released a New Year's video of adorable puppies serving in the country's armed forces.
The video, posted on Russia's ministry of defense's YouTube channel, shows dogs and puppies playing in the snow at an elite military training center outside Moscow.
The channel has more commonly been used to show off Russia's military might in Syria, posting videos of bombardments by Russian aircraft there, as well as military maneuvers elsewhere. The video was released as Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to continue backing Syria's forces.
The New Year's video, however, shows mussed puppies, as well as older dogs, frolicking in the snow and being fed.
The kennels -- from the 470th Service Dog Breeding Center, which dates back to the Soviet period -- is one of Russia's most decorated. The center won an international competition last summer against the canine forces of Belarus, Egypt, Iran and Uzbekistan, according to the Associated Press.
Like other militaries around the world, dogs in Russia are used as guards and for detecting explosives. Photos on the breeding center's Facebook page show Russian soldiers in Syrian campaign uniforms. Russian sappers have been de-mining areas re-taken by the Syrian army and training its troops.
The video, titled "Loyal Friends," ends with New Year's wishes. New Year's Day is one of Russia's most important holidays, with families celebrating it much like Christmas in the U.S. and Europe.
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