Cruel Russian soldiers beat a dog and booby-trap it with a BOMB in bid to blow up Ukrainian villagers... but explosive experts save the animal Russian special forces beat up a dog so badly it couldn't walk before wiring a bomb next to it in the hope of killing innocent Ukrainians who came to the rescue The Russians are believed to have infiltrated a Ukrainian town close to Kyiv A bomb squad defused the booby-trap and rescued the dog which is recovering Russian special forces booby-trapped a dog after almost beating it to death to kill Ukrainian civilians coming to its rescue. Spetsnaz GRU, operating within the north-west city of Makariv, wired a bomb to the pooch so its rescuers would be blown up along with the dog when they came to help. The special forces are believed to have infiltrated the Ukrainian town close to Kyiv in order to strike fear in the hearts of Ukrainians. No one knows exactly where the GRU are operating, but one British soldier embedded with the Ukrainian international Brigade said the covert forces have been disguising themselves as aid workers. The Russians use Improvised Explosive Devices to kill unarmed civilians throughout the country, striking psychological terror into the population. It is a 'big psychological hit' for local communities to think the Russians are among them, said the British soldier. The dog, named 'Fox', is without an owner, and was found beaten in a ditch wired to the bomb and ready to explode if the locals got too close. But residents of the Ukrainian town realised something wasn't right, calling bomb disposal experts instead of approaching. But Fox is not the only dog to be rescued by Ukrainian troops. Max, a three-year-old Belgian Malinois Max, was found starving by Ukrainians in the Mykolaiv region and was nursed back to health in May. He was then redeployed as a minesweeping dog after being taught to understand Ukrainian commands. Max was found still wearing a camouflaged collar issued to the Russian hounds. He quickly became a favourite with the guards and a common sight among Ukrainian troops in Mykolaiv. Also joining Ukraine's dog army is Patron, a Jack Russell recently awarded a medal for valour by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Patron has detected more than 200 deadly Russian landmines and unexploded bombs. He weighs 4kg, handily less than the 5kg that sets off most Russian munitions. From six months, Patron was trained to detect TNT and gunpowder. When he does, he stops rigid and stands with his nose down until his owner 33-year-old Mykhailo Iliev and his team approach.