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Russia Supplies North Korea With Over 100 Elite Horses for Kim Jong Un’s Military Units
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Russia has supplied North Korea’s elite military units with more than 100 pedigree horses over the past six years, reinforcing ceremonial cavalry formations linked to Kim Jong Un, The Moscow Times reported on February 2, citing NK News.
According to NK News, the main supplier has been Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan, home to some of the country’s leading horse-breeding farms.
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According to a report by Military.com, elements of the Russian military have been seen using horses on the battlefield in Ukraine, including in training and patrol roles.
Data from the Tatarstan agriculture ministry show that stud farm No. 57 alone exported more than 20 Orlov Trotters to North Korea over the past seven years. The Orlov Trotter, a Russian breed developed in the late 18th century by Count Alexei Orlov, is traditionally associated with endurance, speed, and a striking appearance.
Grey Orlov Trotters are reportedly used by North Korean generals who lead military parades on horseback in Pyongyang. In North Korea, horses serve not only ceremonial military functions but also play a symbolic role in state propaganda. Images of Kim Jong Un riding a white horse are regularly used to project strength, continuity, and military power, The Moscow Times wrote.
European and Ukrainian officials have previously stated that North Korea had become a key supplier of ammunition and military support to Russia’s war effort. North Korea provided 50% of Russia’s ammunition in 2025, Reuters reported, citing Kyiv’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.
NK News notes that Pyongyang’s interest in Russian horses dates back decades. In 2003, Vladimir Putin gifted Kim Jong Il three Orlov Trotters, after which North Korea began seeking closer ties with Russian breeders
Diplomatic contacts resumed in 2018, and in 2022 a Russian breeder personally presented Kim Jong Un with a four-year-old stallion. Since then, deliveries have become routine.
By 2025, the total number of horses sent from Russia to North Korea had approached 100, NK News estimated. Official customs data cited by the outlet show shipments of 12 horses in 2019, 30 in March 2020, another 30 in 2022, and 24 Orlov Trotters in August 2024.
In recent years, cooperation has expanded institutionally, with North Korean breeding specialists visiting Russia and additional exporters from the Moscow region, Suzdal, and Krasnodar receiving approval to supply horses to Pyongyang.
Previously, it was reported that Ukrainian forces have successfully repelled a Russian cavalry assault in the Oleskiivka area, part of the broader Alexanderivka-Novopavlivka front.
