Ukrainian brigade shows Russian "motorcycle cemetery"
In recent months, Russian stormtroopers on motorcycles have been increasingly launching attacks at the front. An expert describes these advances as "gambling". A Ukrainian unit has now shown the consequences of a failed motorcycle attack.
The 58th Motorized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces published an edited video clip on Facebook, showing the aftermath of a failed Russian attack. The roughly two-minute clip shows Ukrainian artillery and drone strikes on Russian infantry, as well as around a dozen destroyed or abandoned motorcycles. The pro-Ukrainian portal Defence-Blog writes about a "motorcycle graveyard" in light of the footage.
It is unclear where and when the footage was taken. According to Western military observers, the 58th Brigade is operating in the area of the village of Urozhaine in the Donetsk region. The village was liberated during the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the summer of 2023 but is now back under Russian control since mid-July.
Sightings of Russian stormtroopers on motorcycles have been frequent in recent months. "Russia is using motorcycles to expand its tactical capabilities," says ntv correspondent Rainer Munz. The attacks often follow a specific pattern: "First, guided bombs are used to attack the positions of the Ukrainian army, then the Russian soldiers come in on the fast off-road motorcycles." Due to their high speed, the two-wheelers are also better protected from kamikaze drones, according to Munz.
Colonel Markus Reisner of the Austrian Armed Forces compares the deployment method to Soviet motorcycle reconnaissance regiments in World War II. Initially, a group of armored vehicles would draw Ukrainian defensive fire, then the motorcycle soldiers would move in. "These motorcycles essentially form a screen that is laid over Ukrainian positions, allowing the Russians to identify where a breakthrough is possible," Reisner said in an interview with ntv.de in late July. "This method has allowed the Russians to advance from one green belt to the next and from one village to the next in recent months."
An analyst from Oryx, a platform that counts losses in the war using images and videos, wrote about the motorcycle soldiers as early as April on the platform X: "It's a normal calculation to sacrifice protection for speed when necessary, for example by reconnaissance or special forces. But it's a gamble."
The edited video clip shared by the 58th Motorized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Facebook reveals a "motorcycle graveyard," with numerous destroyed or abandoned motorcycles following a failed Russian attack. According to an analyst from Oryx, the deployment of motorcycle soldiers by Russia is a "gamble," sacrificing protection for speed in certain situations.
