Russian forces have deployed donkeys and camels in Ukraine amid resupply struggles to equip troops at the frontlines with necessary goods, according to reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly “ground down” his military’s Soviet-era stockpiles of equipment in the three years of war with Ukraine, which has resulted in the largest depletion of Russia’s military equipment in 80 years, the independent news outlet The Insider reported.
State Duma Defense Committee member Lieutenant General Viktor Sobolev compared it to the use of dogs and horses to transport equipment during World War II, the Russian newspaper Gazeta reported. He said: “There are currently very big difficulties in providing units and subdivisions, including, that is, assault squads and groups and so on, with ammunition, military-technical equipment, and food too.”
Sobolev also spoke to the Russian news outlet RTVI about the deployment of donkeys and said that “any means aimed at preserving the lives of our soldiers and officers in the special military operation zone are good. Let it work, let the donkeys help the victory… Dogs and cats also work in the combat zone—they help fight mice in the trenches, as do horses.”
The use of donkeys on the frontlines has had its downsides, as the Telegram channel Military Informant posted that the animals “create[d] several new problems, including the need for regular feeding and specific veterinary care.”
The Russian military has also been using camels for transport, as the Telegram channel Crimean Wind posted a photo of a Russian soldier riding a camel. It is unknown what goods the camels are transporting or if they are deploying soldiers. Newsweek was unable to independently verify the reports.
There are roughly 10,000 camels in southern Russia, according to the British newspaper The Times.
Russia’s reported use of camels in the military is not new, as the Soviet army used them as a means of transport during World War II.
Horses have also recently been used to deploy troops in Ukraine, and there have been several videos of Russian soldiers on horses circulating on Russian Telegram channels. Some of the footage was reportedly filmed in the Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where fighting has increased as Moscow attempts to seize the entirety of the Donbas, which is composed of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
Anton Gerashchenko, former deputy minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter: “‘World’s second army’ in all its glory. Rolling back to the times of the Russian Empire – complete with cavalry and drafting representatives of national minorities as cannon fodder. These soldiers are from the Republic of Sakha, a region incredibly rich in natural resources. Yet, the indigenous people of Sakha are fighting a war in Ukraine on stolen horses, while Moscow fills its coffers with proceeds from their diamonds, gold, gas, and oil.”
Gerashchenko, in a different X post: “Horses already look regular in the Russian army. Camels seem like a technological breakthrough. Reindeer no longer sound impossible.”
Kagan Dunlap, a social media influencer, on X: “Apparently the Russian military is using camels now. I suppose logistically speaking, they don’t need to be sustained as often so I guess I could see the point.”
Journalist Tim White, on X: “Some disbelieve #Russia’s really using donkeys in its war with #Ukraine, thinking they’d just been stolen from locals Here, more proof the Kremlin has literally run out of equipment. More museum pieces refurbished & tested to send to the front. Zero regard for troop safety!”
It is unknown how Russia will continue to combat its equipment shortage issue in order to sustain the war with Ukraine.
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