A growing new tactic used by Vladimir Putin on the frontline in Ukraine of using motorbikes in an attempt to gain territory is often ending in grisly death for his soldiers.
Graphic videos have emerged, showing Putin’s assault troops being blown up as they attempt to make advances in the battlefield. In one of the videos shot by a drone, a lone soldier on two wheels is believed to have hit a landmine, triggering a huge fireball explosion. Separately, two Russian riders are seen – reportedly near Loknya, inside Ukraine’s Sumy border region – being blown to pieces by drones
Another disaster for Putin’s troops took place just days ago, when they came under sustained fire as 18 motorcycles and ten cars attempted to make a 4am breakthrough to the village of Bahatyr in the occupied Donetsk region. Ukrainian Defence Forces released a video of the ambush.
“Thanks to the professional intelligence work of the headquarters, the Russian invaders were detected in advance, after which the enemy column was hit by fire,” they said. Vulhedar Territorial Defence Forces added: “Out of 18 motorcycles, 15 were destroyed, out of ten cars, nine were hit, and 40 enemy infantrymen were also eliminated.”
Footage of the latest harrowing scenes from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine comes as the Russian propaganda machine boasts about its increased use of motorbikes on the frontline. The Moscow defence ministry has released a video of troops training in wartime combat, a tactic dating back to the First World War.
The footage shows paratroopers, likely from the 299th Airborn Reigment of the Airbone Troops, 98th Airborne Division, using dirt bikes and “practising offensive and defensive combat in two- and three-man squads.” The Institute for the Study of War concluded it is likely that Russian forces are “developing a tactical doctrine for systematic offensive motorcycle usage”, with summer appearing an ideal time to deploy such a method.
If so, it is a further sign that Russia has little intention of abiding by a ceasefire. The use of motorcycles in the Sumy region is already an indication of Putin’s expanding ambitions, reaching into new areas close to the frontline.
Pavlo Shamshin, spokesman for Ukraine’s Kharkiv Military District, warned about a swarm of riders, suggesting it could be an effective military tactic. He said: “Imagine, if there are 50 motorcycles riding across a field.
“How many FPV drones do you need to use to destroy them all? And they move fast enough, if they need to run across a field one and a half kilometres (one mile) long, they will spend three to five minutes on it, and the drone must be equipped, launched and hit.”
The Russian defence ministry highlighted the words of Lieutenant Ilya Sukhanov, saying: “Heavy armoured vehicles on a special military operation are an easy enough target for enemy drones. That is why the delivery of personnel to positions is more and more often entrusted to such types of transport such as buggies, motorbikes and quad bikes.
“They are able to evade enemy ‘birds’ at high speed over rough terrain. On the Kherson direction one of such motorbike groups is formed on the basis of the assault company of the Guards Marine Brigade of the Northern Fleet. It is called no other way than ‘The Pack’.”
He said: “The principle of the motorised team can be described by the motto of boxing great… Muhammad Ali: ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!’ Our combat bikers do exactly that: jump up, attack, retreat, flank and strike again… This tactic allows us to wear down the enemy before the main assault.”
One Russian military biker explained the tactic, saying: “We fight like a pack of wolves. We strike quickly and sharply. The enemy doesn’t even have time to realise where the next blow is coming from.”
Propagandist Valdimir Solovyov shared a post saying Putin’s motorcyclists were “faster than infantry, more mobile than equipment – soldiers learn combat motocross.” The post said: “Work is in full swing at the Russian military training grounds – soldiers are mastering skills that they are already using today in the [war] zone. Training of mobile motorcycle groups is quickly being introduced into combat training elements, and motorcyclists have become a must-have for the front line.”
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