In the last six years, Russia has provided nearly 100 purebred horses to North Korea’s elite military units, which are used in Kim Jong Un’s cavalry regiment and at military parades in Pyongyang. A key supplier has been Tatarstan, which hosts one of the most important farms in the country, writes The Moscow Times.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture in Tatarstan, Stud Farm No. 57 has sent over 20 Orlov Trotter horses to North Korea in the last seven years. The Orlov Trotter is a Russian breed developed in the late 18th century by Count Alexei Orlov. It is traditionally associated with endurance, speed, and an impressive appearance.
The gray Orlov horses are used by North Korean generals to open military parades. For Pyongyang, horses remain not just an element of military ceremonies, but also an important propaganda symbol. Images of Kim Jong Un on a white horse are regularly used as a symbol of strength, continuity, and military power.
The North Korean elite’s interest in Russian horses has been strong for a long time. In 2003, Vladimir Putin gifted Kim Jong-il three Orlov Trotter horses, after which North Korea actively began seeking contacts with Russian breeding farms. In 2018, North Korean diplomats again contacted Russian breeders in search of purebred animals. The owner of the stud farm, Nikolai Skokov, personally gifted Kim Jong Un a four-year-old stallion in 2022. Since then, deliveries have become regular. By 2025, the total number of horses sent to North Korea from Russia approached 100. In 2019, Russia sent 12 horses to North Korea, valued at over $75,500. In March 2020, 30 horses were sent, another 30 in 2022, and 24 Orlov Trotter horses in August 2024.