In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, both Russian and Ukrainian forces are increasingly using motorcycles for combat operations. This is because traditional armored vehicles such as tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored cars are becoming harder to survive in the face of drone threats. Defensive fortifications on the battlefield are highly lethal under real-time reconnaissance and precision firepower support, and any large vehicle that is exposed may be quickly destroyed. However, motorcycles are different. When the New York Times interviewed Major Rizhovsky, an intelligence officer from a Ukrainian military brigade this year, the major said: "It's easy to eliminate an armored vehicle carrying 15 people. But if 15 people each ride a motorcycle, it's a big problem."
Modern infantry have strong firepower. Even if the attacking side conducts long-range fire strikes to suppress the defending side's trench system, the remaining defending forces' firepower can still cause casualties to the attacking infantry during the time they cross the no-man's land. Even a 3-kilometer no-man's land requires the attacking side to run for nearly half an hour while wearing gear and carrying weapons, but a motorcycle can cross 3 kilometers of rough terrain at a speed of 60 km/h in just 2 minutes, making its tactical value immediately apparent. For example, the Russian military uses motorcycles to assist infantry in crossing the final no-man's land. This is not directly charging forward through the Ukrainian bullets, but rather operating under sufficient firepower coverage by friendly forces on the Ukrainian positions. When the Ukrainian troops inside the fortifications return to their defensive positions after the artillery and drone attacks, they will find that Russian infantry has already reached the vicinity, thus losing the opportunity to kill Russians in the no-man's land. After close combat begins, the main Russian offensive forces will then arrive by motor vehicles or armored vehicles.
At the May 2024 "Ukraine Drone War" workshop organized by the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), it was directly mentioned that motorcycles are too small a target and too fast for suicide drones to hit, and even if hit, they can only cause one or two casualties. In a promotional video shot by the Russian Ministry of Defense showing motorcycle units, an officer stated that riding motorcycles through minefields is unlikely to trigger anti-tank mines, because anti-tank mines typically detonate when they sense a weight of more than 250 kilograms. In the future, tanks and armored vehicles will still be important and will not disappear. However, facing new threats such as anti-armor firepower, suicide drones, loitering munitions, and large-caliber guided artillery shells, the role of breakthrough and penetration on the battlefield has changed. From the perspective of the war between Ukraine and Russia, main battle tanks have gradually transformed into supporting fire roles similar to infantry fighting vehicles.
Motorcycle assault teams are not only used for frontal charges; their actual tasks are broader, including feints, reconnaissance, infiltration, supply transport, or providing flank support during large-scale offensives. The main function of motorcycles is to enable infantry to quickly reach tactical positions, rather than directly serving as combat platforms. Today, the Russian motorcycle units are playing an increasingly significant role under this tactical positioning.
Both sides in the Ukraine-Russia conflict are using small-displacement off-road motorcycles produced by Dongda, with a unit price ranging from $2,000 to $4,000. Their cost is far lower than any armored vehicle, they require less maintenance, they are stealthy, and during nighttime, the quiet electric models can maintain the effect of surprise attacks. Motorcycles can carry anti-tank missiles, automatic grenade launchers, and other heavy weapons to quickly support the flanks, arriving at tactical positions within minutes. Compared to noisy and slow armored vehicles, they can significantly shorten the enemy's response time.
With relatively sparse front-line defenses, small and fast units can more easily find gaps in the front line to infiltrate and deploy electronic warfare equipment carried by motorcycles to carry out tasks of suppressing the defending side's drones. Four-wheeled off-road vehicles and golf carts, due to their better load capacity and larger body size, are being used by both sides as essential tools for frontline supply, traveling between frontline supply nodes and the actual firing lines. They are often used for evacuating wounded personnel from the firing line.
Original source: www.toutiao.com/article/1840084140779520/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.