Beloved ‘Russian spy’ beluga whale was shot dead, animal rights groups say

A beloved beluga whale, long thought by many to be a spy for Russia, was allegedly found shot dead in waters off of Norway over the weekend, and animal rights groups are demanding an investigation.

The whale, cleverly nicknamed

— a play on words for the Norwegian word for whale, hval, and the first name of Russian president, Vladimir Putin — was found dead Saturday in a bay along Norway’s southwest coast and “had multiple bullet wounds around his body,” an animal…