The Russian military plans to expand the use of small squads on motorcycles and quadbikes at the frontlines in Ukraine as it prepares for fresh offensives, according to the Ukrainian military and conflict analysts.
On Saturday, Russia’s Defense Ministry released a video showing soldiers training in groups of two or three motorcycles. The footage showed riders navigating a course to the beat of an electronic soundtrack.
Russian forces have been using motorbikes and quadbikes along several parts of the frontlines for more than a year. These vehicles help them move quickly and avoid Ukrainian drones. However, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in Washington said the new video suggests Russia is now developing a formal tactical doctrine for motorcycle offensives and may soon issue a larger number of motorbikes to its troops.
Ukraine is bracing for a major Russian offensive in the coming months, as Moscow seeks to seize more territory before any possible ceasefire.
The Ukrainian military calls these fast motorbike assaults “banzai attacks.” Commander Andriy Otchenash said the motorcycles allow Russian forces to advance quickly and slip behind Ukrainian lines, but he noted that Russian casualties in these attacks are very high.
“This shows the enemy lacks heavy military equipment but is adapting to the realities of the war,” said Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communication.
On Saturday, Ukrainian forces said they had repelled a Russian assault on the village of Bahatyr in Donetsk. They reported destroying 15 motorcycles and killing about 40 Russian soldiers. Ukraine also released drone footage showing several motorbikes being hit in open fields.
In February, Ukraine also reported that Russian troops were using more quadbikes near Chasiv Yar in Donetsk, where the frontlines have largely remained static for a year.
Ukrainian military spokesman Lt. Col. Pavlo Shamshyn explained that while the motorbikes help Russian forces move fast and dodge drones, the noise of the engines makes it harder for riders to hear approaching drones.
Russian state media has been promoting the use of motorcycle units. Russia Today recently reported that motorcyclists were planting mines and quoted a soldier from the 39th Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade. He said, “Our main advantage is that we can drive directly into enemy positions and neutralize everyone.” He also claimed that the sound of motorcycles causes panic among Ukrainian troops.
Besides attacks, Russian forces are using motorcycles to evacuate wounded soldiers. The Defense Ministry’s Zvezda publication reported last week that marines fighting in the Kursk region were using all-terrain bikes for medical evacuations. Video footage showed a wounded soldier being loaded onto a bike in muddy fields.
The UK’s Defense Ministry had earlier noted that Russian troops were increasingly using off-road bikes for nighttime attacks. However, they warned that these vehicles are vulnerable to Ukraine’s FPV drones, which can fly directly into targets.
In late 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected Chinese-made all-terrain vehicles bought for the army. At that time, about 500 were already in use, and Russia’s Defense Ministry ordered around 1,500 more.
