Here's why Russian soldiers are riding around the Arctic on sleds pulled by Reindeer

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September 3, 2017 4:02 PM

Russia apparently still uses reinderr

It's well known by now that Russia is winning the race to snatch up the Arctic's untapped oil and gas reserves that are becoming more accessible due to climate change.

Russia still uses animal transports, like reindeer seen below, for certain kinds of missions in the Arctic.

Above is a shot of members of Russia's Northern Fleet motorized rifle brigade being pulled around by reindeer.

The reindeer require less maintenance and fuel than motorized vehicles and can cover great distances without getting tired.

Source: Sim Tack, chief analyst at Force Analysis, and former Stratfor analyst, and

The reindeer can also be more mobile on rough terrain and sometimes go places vehicles can't, like through thick forests or over frozen lakes.

Source:

Russian troops also use sled dogs and skis.

Reindeer and dog sleds are probably best suited for reconnaissance or other specialized tasks.

And Russia isn't the only country to still use animal transports. The US has a Mountain Warfare Training Center in California where they train Marines to ride horses and load pack animals.

The US and Russia also use dolphins for underwater mine detection as well.

Source: MARSOC, and

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