by Gleb Zabelin
| Thinking outside the box. |
"Now his home is a cozy farm... He lives in the neighboring enclosure with Cameroon goats. And it must be said, he's clearly interested in his neighbors!" the Moscow Zoo channel reported.
Zhorik, who "served" alongside the soldiers of the 1430th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment, was a true frontline helper: he not only delivered ammunition for the artillery mounts but also "helped with housework." When the unit redeployed, it was decided to "demobilize" the donkey.
Thanks to caring people, Zhorik arrived in September at the Veliky Ustyug Zoo in the Vologda Region, a branch of the Moscow Zoo. There, the four-legged helper, who had often been on the front lines, was greeted by veterinarians and zoologists.
It was initially assumed that after adaptation and examination in the "homeland of Father Frost," the front-line donkey would be transported to the capital - which is what was ultimately done.
Using pack animals to transport ammunition and supplies to the front lines is nothing new. As early as the beginning of the year, reports surfaced on social media and in the media about horse-drawn transport being actively used in the SVO zone. One of the first to report this was military correspondent Dmitry Steishin on his Telegram channel, citing one of his soldiers. He reported that his unit had been "issued a donkey" to carry ammunition "to the front lines."
Since the main workhorse, the Ural-4320 trucks, is often targeted by the enemy, a live equid was deployed.
Another war correspondent, photojournalist Alexander Garmaev, reported a similar story from a soldier: “They gave us a donkey, it was parked for platoon water supply.”
Everything is in accordance with the current order of the Minister of Defense from December 31, 1999, "On approval of the lists of equipment, horse-drawn and pack transport," from which it follows: the Russian Armed Forces may use "as a means of traction" with harness - horses and camels aged 4 to 7 years, riding reindeer aged 2 to 5 years, "donkeys (asses) aged 3 to 7 years, as well as carts, sleds and sleighs."
Western media, such as Forbes, have already made fun of the Russian army, which is supposedly falling into archaism: supposedly due to large losses in equipment, our soldiers are moving around on horses and donkeys.
In fact, as Defense Minister Andrei Belousov noted at an extended meeting of the Defense Ministry board on December 17, "this year, the serviceability of weapons and equipment was maintained at a level of no less than 98%."
As for the latest equipment, the Defense Minister indicated that the Russian Armed Forces will receive 288,000 robotic platforms (including evacuation platforms) by 2025, and that's just the beginning: ground drones currently cover 20% of the army's needs, and their number will only increase. There's no shortage of light vehicles either: in August, Belousov reported that the army had received 22,700 motorcycles, ATVs, and buggies, with another 12,000 units expected to be delivered by December (for a total of almost 35,000 by the end of the year).
The apparent "archaism" of horse-drawn carts is the application of military ingenuity in a modern drone war, which is what the SVO has become by 2024–2025.
In all cases, we are, of course, not talking about supplying “instead” of military transport vehicles – the same Urals – but in addition to this equipment.
Firstly, donkeys are not such a visible target for enemy FPV drones compared to trucks or cars (not to mention military equipment).
Secondly, a hardy pack animal will go through off-road conditions, green areas, and rough terrain—where even a motorcycle would have difficulty passing, and where a soldier would have a hard time walking long distances and carrying a load.
TEMPLAR-STYLE SPECIAL FORCES TACTICS
An initiative reported on RT in September pursues a similar goal. At the training ground of the 9th Brigade of the 51st Army, the "Storm" special forces unit is training soldiers in horseback riding, according to military correspondent Semyon Pegov.
As the detachment commander, call sign Khan, explained, the advantages are obvious: an unshod horse won't step on a magnetic mine. Plus, there's the same ability to quietly and relatively unnoticed travel through rough terrain (and there are plenty of such terrains on the Donbas front), where there are no roads or tracks.
A forced march to Ukrainian Armed Forces positions that need to be cleared and retreated can take up to 10–15 kilometers, and special forces soldiers have to cover these distances in full gear.
The warhorse is proving to be in great demand in the era of drone warfare.
A warhorse trained to be unafraid of gunfire and flying objects—like the stallion Malysh from the Storm stables—is a good mount, even at night. The horse sees well in twilight (unless it's pitch black), quickly navigates its surroundings, and is sensitive to any movement—its predator avoidance instinct is at work.
"One horsepower" does not leave a thermal trace comparable to that of an engine.
To enhance efficiency, the special forces even devised a sort of medieval "Templar-style" riding system, with two men on a single horse: one soldier controls the horse, the other "provides fire support." Upon arrival, both dismount and proceed to their mission.
"AT DAWN, SILENTLY AND UNNOTICED"
In the 31st "Bashkortostan" Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 67th Motorized Rifle Division, horses are used more traditionally—as draft animals. Moreover, according to a report by the Bashinform news agency, they have been used since the summer of 2023. A regiment commander with the call sign "Bashkir" told the agency at the time that the regiment had sufficient equipment to deliver supplies to the front lines—both "shishigas" (GAZ-66 trucks) and ATVs. However, the commander emphasized the risk of air strikes along the route.
"And at dawn, horses can silently and discreetly deliver everything needed to combat positions—around 200 kg on two horses," the officer explained. One of the initiators of this idea was Imam Hamza-khazrat Khafizov, who provides spiritual support to the regiment's Muslim soldiers (Archpriest Viktor Ivanov prays for the Orthodox soldiers of "Bashkortostan"). A businessman from Bashkortostan's Baimak district donated two horses, Abzelil
At the end of 2024, Hamza-khazrat told the Daily Storm that the horses were healthy, well-fed, and dutifully carrying out their combat mission: transporting mortars, ammunition, and other necessary supplies.
Frontline horses and donkeys perform more than just logistical tasks—they also provide an opportunity to at least partially replenish the joy hormones of being with a kind and loyal animal on the front lines. Of course, upon returning from the SVO zone, soldiers in need of psychological support will undergo rehabilitation—one method of which is hippotherapy: adaptive horseback riding and interaction with horses.
As Regnum News Agency previously reported, equine therapy enthusiasts in both Luhansk and Donetsk also practice it. But even during the fighting, Zhorik supported the soldiers with his loyalty, kindness, and—contrary to stereotypes about donkeys—his intelligence.