Demand for horses surging in Russia amid fuel crisis

Last week, footage of what was allegedly a seven-kilometer-long line at a filling station in Russia began circulating online.

Pro-Kremlin bloggers initially dismissed the footage as AI-generated, but satellite images have since reportedly confirmed the event.

The footage serves as yet another example of how ordinary Russians are struggling under the country’s war effort, as Ukraine wages a long-range campaign against Russian oil and gas infrastructure.

On July 5, The Financial Times published an analysis showing that Ukraine had struck Russian energy infrastructure at least 194 times during the first six months of the year—an average of more than one strike per day.

Now, the Russian fuel crisis can even be seen in horse sales.

Trading cars for horses

The Moscow Times reported on July 6 that rural residents across Russia are trading cars for horses for daily travel and farming because of the crisis.

Demand for workhorses has increased severalfold, without giving specific numbers. This surge has reportedly saved roughly 1,000 animals from slaughter, according to the Telegram channel Mash.

A workhorse costs between 100,000 and 200,000 rubles (1300-2600 USD), and despite the ongoing costs of hay and hoof care, rural families find keeping a horse cheaper than fueling domestic SUVs.

Pedal power and patience

Bicycle sales have also climbed dramatically, with sales jumping more than 130 percent in June compared with May on the CDEK.Shopping platform.

At the same time, revenue soared by more than 260 percent.

Politicians are taking notice. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin called for expanding tram lines, noting that “one three-section tram can carry up to 260 passengers and replace about 200 cars.”

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation