Russian soldier films failed assault on motorcycles

The personal camera of a Russian soldier captured a failed attempt to break through on motorcycles to Ukrainian positions in the Donetsk region.

The Exilenova+ Telegram channel published the video.

The Ukrainian military detected the Russian assault group on at least four motorcycles in time and immediately opened mortar fire in their direction. The accuracy of the latter indicates that it had been aimed in advance, which means that this was not the first attempt to attack on this road.

The artillery fire disorganized the group and prevented it from quickly overcoming the danger zone, causing a traffic jam on the road. At this point, drones with free-fall bombs joined the battle and began to finish off the infantry on the ground.

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It is noteworthy that the invaders in the video decided to ride motorcycles in pairs, which makes it much more difficult to move over rough terrain. The lack of motorcycles in the unit may explain this decision.

Motorcycle assaults by the invaders

Motorcycles and ATVs have been used by both sides of the war for years to transport goods and even evacuate the wounded. However, attempts to use them as assault vehicles were noticed by the Russian military only last spring.

The choice of motorcycles for attacks is due to the tightening of Ukrainian defenses and the saturation of the ranks with anti-tank systems and strike drones, which made classic mechanized attacks impossible.

Unlike large and slow armored convoys, assault groups on motorcycles are less visible to aerial reconnaissance and can overcome the dead zone between their starting positions and the enemy’s defense line in a short time. The calculation is based primarily on the long reaction time of artillery and FPV drone operators, during which the group can seize positions and take up defense.

At the beginning of 2024, motorcycle groups were usually used in a combined attack to outflank the enemy, while the main assault group on armored vehicles tried to break through in frontal attacks. Later, however, due to a shortage of equipment, the use of motorcycles became more widespread.

For example, during the offensive against the positions of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, the Russians used 39 motorcyclists at once! Significantly, the invader armored group consisted of only two armored personnel carriers, which were almost immediately destroyed.

The “new cavalry” tactical actions are extremely risky for the Russian infantryman and are characterized by high losses. Still, they give the command of the Russian Armed Forces a working tool for breaking down defenses in modern battlefield conditions.