As an example of how modern warfare is fusing traditional methods with cutting-edge technology, Russian forces are avoiding Ukraine’s drone attacks by utilizing horses and donkeys.
In a dramatic shift in military tactics, Russian forces are increasingly moving troops and supplies close to Ukraine’s front lines on horses and donkeys in an effort to avoid the constant threat of drone strikes, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Despite its modest scope, the unusual strategy demonstrates how militaries are being forced to resurrect antiquated tactics due to the changing nature of contemporary combat. The battlefield has changed due to drones, and both sides are rushing to adjust, using both low-tech solutions like electronic jammers and high-tech ones like manned carts and netting.
Going back to the fundamentals
Using drone footage, Ukrainian Army Sergeant Ihor Vizirenko, who is based close to the hotly disputed eastern town of Chasiv Yar, initially saw Russian forces riding horseback. Vizirenko observed, “The Russians are very inventive.” “Ukrainians are destroying their vehicles as soon as they approach the front line.”
Russia is taking a tactical stance. They can move supplies and ammunition with less chance of being discovered when they use horses and donkeys in wooded areas where cars have trouble and drones are less efficient. Recognising the hazardous situation at the front, Russian Lt. Gen. Viktor Sobolev remarked, “It’s better if a donkey gets killed than two men in a car.”
Pro-Kremlin bloggers have shared pictures of donkeys on the front lines, and Russian soldiers have even been seen riding horses close to Chasiv Yar.
Ukraine’s innovative reaction
Low-tech alternatives are also being used by Ukrainian forces. To reduce the possibility of drone attacks, Vizirenko’s battalion moves wood, supplies, and even wounded men over rugged terrain using hand trolleys, similar to those seen in warehouses. “If shelling begins, we can drop the trolleys and find cover quickly,” Vizirenko stated.
Even though Ukraine is still pushing the limits of contemporary warfare—creating sea drones that have destroyed portions of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and modifying robot dogs for surveillance—the soldiers on the ground frequently turn to time-tested, pragmatic means of survival.
With their muddy trenches, barbed wire, and shelters infested with rats, Ukraine’s front lines frequently evoke images from World War I. Although drone technology rules the air, the most basic tactics are frequently necessary for survival.
A frantic balancing act between the old and modern
Necessity is driving innovation on both sides. To evade Ukrainian jammers, Russia has connected fishing-line-thin optic cables to drones and built netted passages to protect cars from airstrikes. Unmanned ground vehicles with machine guns or explosives are being tested by Ukrainian troops.
Both armies are resurrecting old strategies in spite of these advancements. Phillips O’Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, stated, “I’m not sure we should revive old technology, nets, shotguns, and horses.” “These are last-ditch efforts to deal with unmanned aerial vehicles.”
The distinction between traditional and modern combat is becoming increasingly hazy as the conflict enters its fourth year. Although Russia’s employment of horses is unlikely to herald a complete return to cavalry charges, the changing tactics are indicative of a larger trend: in contemporary warfare, combining innovation and simplicity is frequently necessary for survival.
