Starlink on Horseback: Russians Use Animals for Mobile Internet

The Russian military is using horses as mobile Starlink satellite terminals.

The video and photos were published by Special Kherson Cat and KARYMAT.

To do this, the Russians made a frame of metal pipes that is attached to the horse’s saddle.

A terminal pointing at the sky is installed on the frame itself.

The meaning of this development remains unknown. Presumably, this tactic is used by Russian drone operators to quickly change positions.

Russian military have started equipping cavalry units with Starlink terminals and cameras. pic.twitter.com/Nn1cEwsSXM

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) January 8, 2026

It is worth remembering that usage of horses by the Russian military was first spotted in the fall of 2025.

At that time, the commander of Russian special operations began training mounted assault groups to attack Ukrainian positions.

This was organized by the commander of the Storm special forces unit of the 9th Brigade of the 51st Army, stationed in the occupied part of Donetsk region, with the call sign Khan.

He said that the revival of the cavalry, which disappeared from the Soviet army in 1955, is not a “return to the past” and has a number of advantages.

According to Russian propagandist Semyon Pegov, horses can see well in the dark, do not need roads to accelerate at the final stage of the offensive, and can allegedly avoid mines due to their instincts.

At the end of December 2025, FPV drone operators of the 5th Assault Battalion of the 92nd Assault Brigade neutralized two Russians who were riding horses.

One of them died along with the animal after being hit by a Ukrainian FPV drone, while the other tried to escape, but his horse stumbled and the invader ended up on the ground.