Russia boosts motorcycle and quadbike tactics in Ukraine conflict

Russia’s military is expanding its use of small squads on motorcycles and quadbikes along Ukraine’s frontlines, as it prepares for fresh offensives, according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts.

The Russian Defence Ministry take a step to soldiers training in groups of two or three, riding motorbikes through a course to a pulsating electronic soundtrack.

Russian forces have deployed motorcycles and quadbikes in several sectors of the front for over a year to try and evade Ukrainian drone surveillance.

Ukraine expects a major Russian offensive in the coming months, as Moscow seeks to gain ground before any potential ceasefire agreement.

Ukrainian commanders call the motorbike assaults "banzai attacks", referring to their high speed and high risk.

"They can advance very quickly, get behind the lines," said Ukrainian commander Andriy Otchenash earlier this month, noting that Russian casualties from these tactics were heavy.

The Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication said the motorcycle tactics showed Russia's shortage of heavier military equipment, but also its ability to adapt to battlefield conditions.

On Saturday, Ukraine reported it had repelled a Russian assault on the village of Bahatyr, Donetsk region, destroying 15 motorcycles and killing around 40 Russian troops.

Ukrainian military also highlighted drones striking motorbikes in open fields.

Ukrainian officials also noted that Russian forces had been using more quadbikes around Chasiv Yar in Donetsk, where fighting has largely been static for the past year.

Lt. Col. Pavlo Shamshyn said motorcycles offered speed and manoeuvrability but came with a major drawback: riders could not hear incoming drones because of the noise of the engines.

Russian state media has been highlighting the benefits of deploying motorbike units. Troops can loading an injured soldier onto the back of a motorcycle in muddy fields.

Last week, Russia Today reported that motorcyclists were being used to plant mines and featured an interview with a soldier from the 39th Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade, who is part of a newly formed motorbike group.

"Our main advantage is the ability to drive straight into enemy positions and neutralise them," the soldier said. He added that the noise of the motorcycles caused panic among enemy troops, often forcing them to abandon their positions.

The Russian military is also employing motorcycles for casualty evacuation. The Telegram channel of the Defence Ministry’s outlet, Zvezda, reported last week that marines fighting in the Kursk region were using all-terrain bikes to evacuate wounded soldiers and civilians.

Last year, the UK Ministry of Defence noted that Russian forces were increasingly using off-road and all-terrain vehicles for night-time assaults.

However, it also warned that Ukrainian FPV drones, capable of striking directly at targets, had exposed the vulnerability of these lightly protected vehicles.

In late 2023, President Vladimir Putin inspected Chinese-manufactured all-terrain vehicles purchased for the Russian army. At that time, around 500 had already been deployed, and the Defence Ministry had ordered approximately 1,500 more.