ISW: Russians are massively integrating motorcycles into their military tactics, which they may use in the war against NATO
Kyiv • UNN
Russian military are actively expanding the use of motorcycles on the front lines in Ukraine, integrating them into attack tactics and supporting military operations. They use motorcycles for sabotage, reconnaissance, infiltration, evacuation and logistics, and also train soldiers and plan to equip more than half of the infantry forces with similar vehicles.
Russian forces are expanding the use of motorcycles along the front line in Ukraine, a tactic that the Russian military may use in future wars outside of Ukraine, possibly including operations against NATO countries. This is stated in a material of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), reports UNN.
Details
Analysts point out that, according to one of the Ukrainian servicemen, the threat of Russian motorcycle attacks is increasing along the front line, as Russian forces are increasingly integrating motorcycles into attack tactics.
Russian motorcycle forces no longer attack along roads, but mostly do so through open fields and try to bypass Ukrainian engineering obstacles along the front line
At the same time, the Ukrainian intelligence organization Frontelligence Insight reported that Russian troops mainly use motorcycles as a means of transport to support missions of sabotage, reconnaissance, infiltration and flank support.
Russian motorcyclists operate in squads of six to eight motorcycles with one or two drivers on each motorcycle (a total of six to 16 people). ... Each squad has two to four portable electronic warfare (EW) systems and one device for scanning Ukrainian drones
According to the organization, Russian troops also use motorcycles for the evacuation of the wounded and logistical support. At the same time, the Russians train the military to drive motorcycles and ATVs on special motocross tracks in Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine and mainly use foreign-made motorcycles - mostly those made in the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Russia intends to equip more than half of its infantry forces with motorcycles, ATVs and buggies in the future
ISW concludes that Russian forces are likely to become increasingly dependent on motorcycles and other faster unarmored vehicles, as slower vehicles have become a hazard on the more transparent battlefield of Ukraine.
"Russia's efforts to integrate tactical innovations, such as the use of motorcycles, among frontline units, suggest that the Russian military is learning the lessons of modern ground warfare that they intend to use outside of Ukraine," ISW summarizes.
Let us remind you
According to The New York Times, Russian troops began using motorcycles to attack Ukrainian positions due to a shortage of armored vehicles. Motorcycles allow you to quickly penetrate the rear, but suffer significant losses.