Credit: X/@bayraktar_1love
Russia is sending cavalry to the front lines in its latest low-tech attempt to seize land in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Video footage shared by Ukraine’s 92nd Brigade showed drones chasing Russian soldiers on horseback across an open field.
In the video, a Russian soldier is seen riding a horse while a drone tracks his movements from above. Moments later, the drone struck, hitting the soldiers as they tried to escape. The explosion frightened the other horse, which pushed its rider off before charging alone in the other direction. A third rider was found, but his fate is unknown.
“The Russian occupiers lost so much equipment in the ‘Meat Grinder Raid’ that they were forced to move on horseback,” the 92nd Brigade wrote in a post accompanying the video.
Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has been characterized by rapid advances in frontline technology, particularly in drone warfare.
Small, off-the-shelf explosive drones have proven effective against mechanized troops and infantry.
Russia recently introduced motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles as a way to travel quickly through open countryside monitored by drones.
The moment a drone locks onto a target in eastern Ukraine
Horses offer greater agility – nimble on off-road terrain and are less likely to trigger modern mines equipped with magnetic sensors.
In October, Ukrainian war observers reported the first casualties on horseback.
At the same time, the Telegraph reported that the assault troops of the 9th Brigade of the Russian 51st Group Army have been preparing a mounted assault detachment to fight in the Donetsk region.
Prior to this, there had been numerous reports that Russia used donkeys, horses and even camels to transport ammunition and other heavy equipment to the front lines in muddy conditions unsuitable for ordinary vehicles.
Throughout the ages, cavalry charges have provided speed, impact and agility on the battlefield.
Tanks and other heavily armored combat machines are rarely seen on Ukrainian battlefields, and when they do appear, they are almost immediately destroyed by a wave of drones.
Russia’s Kommersant newspaper said of the return of the cavalry: “Armed conflicts have become an arena for demonstrating technological innovation, and when modern technology proves fragile, participants are once again forced to rely on basic tools – from analog telephone lines to pack animals and handcarts.”
Try full access to The Telegraph for free now. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus helpful tools and expert guidance on your money, health and holidays.
