"Abandoning Armored Vehicles and Military Trucks"... Why Russian Cavalry with 'Two-Man Teams' on Horses and Donkeys Has Emerged Unusually

Cavalry Returns to the Front Lines for the First Time Since World War II
Russia's Military Tactics to Evade Drones and Landmines

On the 30th of last month (local time), cavalry training footage was released from the Russian 9th Motorized Rifle Brigade deployed in the eastern front region of the Ukraine war. Telegram

The Russian military, which has lost many combat vehicles to drone strikes and landmine explosions in the Ukraine war, has released footage of cavalry training on the front lines. The Russian military claims that horses, which instinctively avoid drones and landmines, are more useful in combat than vehicles, and has announced plans to expand its cavalry units further. The deployment of cavalry to the front lines in modern warfare is the first such occurrence since World War II, drawing attention both within Russia and internationally.

Cavalry Avoiding Drones and Landmines... Quickly Replacing Vehicles

TASS Yonhap News Agency

On the 30th of last month (local time), the Russian 9th Motorized Rifle Brigade announced the formation of a cavalry unit within the brigade and released footage of their training. This brigade, deployed to the eastern front of the Ukraine war, had previously relied on combat vehicles such as armored personnel carriers and military trucks. However, as these vehicles became frequent targets for drones and landmines, making their operation difficult, the brigade established the cavalry unit.

In the cavalry unit, two soldiers ride a single horse: one controls the horse, while the other provides covering fire from behind. To avoid triggering landmines that react to metallic objects, the horses are not fitted with horseshoes. The Russian military also reported that training is conducted at night, when it is relatively easier to evade drones.

This is the first time since World War II that a cavalry unit has been formed and trained on the front lines, both in Russia and abroad. Countries that still maintain some cavalry units, such as the United States, China, and Poland, primarily use them for patrol duties. Cavalry is deployed in a limited capacity for reconnaissance or special operations in areas where roads are too narrow for vehicles or in swamps, deserts, and mountainous terrain.

Even Donkeys Mobilized for Supply... A Step Back in Time?

A donkey raised by Russian troops deployed in the Ukraine war for transporting supplies. Telegram

In particular, it has been reported that the Russian military, which has suffered significant losses from drones in the Ukraine war, is using not only horses but also donkeys for supply transport. According to the British daily The Times, Russian military blogger Kirill Fedorov recently posted on Telegram that "soldiers have received donkeys to transport ammunition to the front lines."

The Russian military is training donkeys to carry supplies to designated areas on their own. Unlike transport vehicles, which become targets for Ukrainian drones as soon as they leave the base, donkeys are considered to have a much lower chance of being targeted. This is because donkeys are smaller than vehicles and are often perceived as livestock raised by civilians rather than for military use, making them less likely to be attacked by drones.

Photos of donkeys raised by units deployed to various fronts are frequently posted on Russian military Telegram channels. Viktor Sobolev, a member of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee, also stated, "Means such as donkeys and horses are used to send ammunition and supplies to the front lines," adding, "It is better for a donkey to be sacrificed than for soldiers riding in transport vehicles to be killed."

The U.S. military media outlet Defense Blog commented, "After losing more than 15,000 combat vehicles in the Ukraine war due to drones and landmines, the Russian military now prefers horses, which can instinctively avoid drones and landmines." The outlet added, "This is an example showing that when new technology disrupts existing military systems, more traditional methods can sometimes provide a solution."