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'We have s*** for transport': Russian troops rely on donkeys to move ammo amid equipment shortages
According to several unnamed soldiers who spoke on Telegram, the animals were being supplied directly by Russia’s defence ministry.
Russian soldiers and war bloggers have reported that donkeys are now being used by President Vladimir Putin’s troops to transport ammunition and supplies to the front lines in Ukraine, as the military faces a significant shortage of vehicles.
According to several unnamed soldiers, cited in an Independent report, who spoke on Telegram, the animals were being supplied directly by Russia’s defence ministry.
A video posted on the Russian Telegram channel Mayorsky KortiZol on February 5 showed a soldier confirming the use of donkeys for logistical support. “They gave us a donkey. It’s parked in the support platoon. We have s*** for transport, right? Here’s a donkey. Use it to transport ammunition to the front lines,” the Independent report quoted the soldier as saying.
In another post, a Russian serviceman shared that his unit had received four donkeys, joking about the unusual situation in modern warfare.
“They’re bringing us donkeys – real ones! Four of them. I don’t know how they’ll divide them... They’re using donkeys to transport ammo. The order is to build a corral for them. 21st century – we’re going to war on donkeys.”
Russian military's equipment losses
Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago, the Russian military has suffered significant losses in equipment. Oryx, a Dutch research group monitoring the conflict, estimates that Russia has lost around 20,000 pieces of military equipment. Among those losses, 11,597 armored vehicles, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers, were destroyed, damaged, abandoned, or captured.
Viktor Sobolev, a retired general and current member of Russia’s defence committee, defended the use of donkeys for logistical purposes.
“There are currently great difficulties in providing units and divisions with ammunition, military supplies, as well as food,” he told Defence Express. “If some methods such as donkeys, horses, and so on are used to deliver ammunition and other supplies to the front line, this is normal. It is better for a donkey to be killed than two people transporting supplies in a vehicle,” Sobolev argued.
He also referenced the use of animals in past conflicts, particularly during World War II, when artillery was often horse-drawn. “Dogs were also used in that war,” he added. “They were loaded with explosives and sent to areas where they were needed.”
Meanwhile, a pro-war Russian Telegram channel, Dva Maiora [Two Majors], raised a tongue-in-cheek question about the potential fate of the donkeys if captured by Ukrainian forces. “Will it be declared missing in action or a prisoner of war?” the channel queried.
