Soldiers, skis and sled dogs: Russian military team up with huskies

Sled dogs can allow soldiers to reach some kinds of terrain that might otherwise be inaccessible.

Video footage released by the Russian Ministry of Defence on Monday shows a group of soldiers learning to ride behind sled dogs on sleds and skis while holding machine guns and assault rifles.

The dogs are valued not just for their cute looks and friendly character, but also for their superb endurance and strength, which allows them to pull heavy weights for a prolonged period of time.

Soldiers can, therefore, use the dogs as a means of transport to locations that would otherwise be unreachable.

Under President Vladimir Putin, Moscow is reopening abandoned Soviet military bases in the Arctic, and building new ones, as it pushes ahead with oil and gas projects in the region.