Russia is now also relying on four-legged friends: horses from Bashkortostan are supposed to bring material to the front.
Ensuring supplies for the troops is one of the major tasks of the military leadership in Moscow. However, Russian logistics are one of the main targets of the Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. But a small Russian unit has found a rather old-fashioned way of supplying troops on the front lines. Soldiers from Bashkortostan rely on the cavalry.
A report on the pro-Russian website Bashkirinform about the soldiers from the region explains the tasks of a unit that is now using the skills learned in civilian life in the war. And that includes using horses as a means of transport.
“Horses move better than any vehicle over rough terrain and, unlike trucks and quads, do not attract the attention of drones,” the regiment commander of the Bashkir troops is quoted as saying. Another commander, calling himself “Bashkir,” describes other benefits: “Horses are very advantageous when troops need to be tended in the morning hours. Hardy and intelligent, the Bashkir breed can carry up to 200 kilograms.”
Two horses have already been delivered to the unit, but their location is not given. “Khan” and “Marseilles” must first pass tests and be examined by a vet, it is said. If he gives the green light, the unit wants to get eight more horses.
The Bashkirs live in the Asian steppe, up to 1,500 meters above sea level. Today, most members of the minority live in the autonomous republic of Bashkortostan, which is part of the Russian Federation. It lies on the eastern edge of Europe, west of the Ural Mountains. There are now said to be 112,924 Bashkirs living in Russia.
The Bashkir horses also come from the mountain and steppe zone formed next to the Volga and the Urals. They were used as draft and utility horses as well as milk and meat producers and are considered to be particularly resilient, even in winter.
