The Soviet Union began the program in the 1960s, competing with a similar program run by the United States Navy. Dolphins were reportedly being trained for a variety of tasks, including patrol duties and potential attack missions.
Ukraine's dolphin program was scheduled to be shut down in April due to lack of funding, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
The animals and the program will now operate under the control of the Russian navy, which has a base in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
