It's well known by now that Russia is winning the race to snatch up the Arctic's untapped oil and gas reserves that are becoming more accessible due to climate change.

In the last few years, Russia has activated a new Arctic command, four new Arctic brigade combat teams, 14 new operational airfields, 16 deepwater ports, a new military base, and more.

They reportedly have 40 icebreakers with 11 more in the making, and even recently unveiled a giant nuclear one.

They've also developed several armored vehicles and other systems designed for cold-weather fighting, including a radar-guided-missile system called the SA-15 Gauntlet, the T-72 main battle tank, and the Pantsir-SA artillery system.

Pantsir-SA air defence system on DT-30PM transporter chassis. Wikimedia Commons photo from Vitaly Kuzmin.

But with all this and more, they still sometimes use antiquated technology.

Check out some of their old school methods below.

Russia still uses animal transports, like reindeer seen below, for certain kinds of missions in the Arctic.

Photo from Russian Ministry of Defense.

Above is a shot of members of Russia's Northern Fleet motorized rifle brigade being pulled around by reindeer.

The reindeer require less maintenance and fuel than motorized vehicles and can cover great distances without getting tired.

The reindeer can also be more mobile on rough terrain and sometimes go places vehicles can't, like through thick forests or over frozen lakes. Source: Sim Tack, chief analyst at Force Analysis, and former Stratfor analyst and Omar Lamrani, a Stratfor analyst.

Russian troops also use sled dogs and skis.

Photo from Russian Ministry of Defense. Reindeer and dog sleds are probably best suited for reconnaissance or other specialized tasks.

Photo from Russian Ministry of Defense.

Source: Sim Tack, chief analyst at Force Analysis, and former Stratfor analyst.