It’s not all doom and gloom in the trenches in Ukraine. Sometimes it’s head pats and belly rubs. That’s because stray dogs like Rambo have been adopted by Ukrainian troops.

“He is security. That’s his job,” one soldier told Freedom News, gesturing at an 8-inch tall puppy curiously hopping around, wondering who the camera crew were.

“We took him into our post, and he stayed with us,” others said. “We felt sorry for him. It was freezing outside.”

The soldiers said that little Rambo was so small when they found him that he fit right in the palm of their hand.

Beyond Rambo, a number of adult dogs also frequent the trenches. Warming themselves near the cabins at night and wandering about during the day, they all, the soldiers explain, can hear if a stranger is coming and give alert.

This isn’t the first time Ukrainian soldiers have been filmed taking care of stray dogs.

GNN reported last year on a BBC documentary about the guards that keep watch over the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, and the dogs that live there. Over time, some have become the soldiers’ companions, offering that most ancient of deals between man and nature: food and shelter in exchange for excellent senses of smell and hearing.

“They give us joy,” said one of the guards. “For me personally, this is a kind of symbol of the continuation of life in this radioactive, post-apocalyptic world.”