Ukrainian Drones Are Giving Russian Motorcycles Hell

As the war between Russia and Ukraine grinds on, we’re seeing some odd evolutions on the battlefield. It’s hard to say if such things might pop up in future military conflicts since many of the peculiarities on the Russian side seem to be generally mocked, even by military experts. One of the latest is how the Russian military is trying to protect motorcycles from drone attacks.

You can actually own this armored military truck.

From WWI onward, motorcycles have played a role in many of the wars around the globe. Small, maneuverable, and fast, they make excellent reconnaissance and fast strike vehicles, especially when equipped with an almost completely silent electric motor.

Russia has been using two-wheeled to some effect on the battlefront, until Ukraine homed in on this attack method. More recently, drone operators have taken out these motorcycle crews in big numbers, forcing their adversaries to pivot and try a new approach.

Videos showed some of the early iterations of upfitted Russian military motorcycles, which reportedly are being sourced from China and Belarus. The first wave have a tall net in the rear, supposedly to keep suicide drones from sneaking up from behind and taking the rider(s) out.

"Brilliant" invention of the "second army of the world"! Russian occupiers are so afraid of encountering Ukrainian drones that they even began to hang nets on their motorcycles. 💥#UkraineWarNews #UkraineWar #UkraineRussiaWar #RussiaIsATerroristState #RussianWarCrimes pic.twitter.com/Mhhx7UHWDq

— ✝ ⚔️ Hunter UA ✠ 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@UaCoins) April 23, 2024

Things have evolved beyond that with some Russian motorcycles now bearing odd, armored shells not too dissimilar to the “turtle tanks” constructed to also guard against drone attacks. They look like something out of a movie about a dystopian future, which in a way is what Ukraine has become.

Russian motorcycle with a welded grill for drone protection. These weird contraptions remind me of WW1 as new fangled ideas were experimented with to combat new threats. The armies of the world have all been caught with their pants down regarding just how successful the drone is. pic.twitter.com/Pfg0MRp1cX

— Nameless Cynic (@nameless_cynic) June 11, 2024

Just like the turtle tanks, these armored motorcycles are heavier, and so the advantage of being fast and maneuverable is blunted. And like their tank brethren, they suffer from a general lack of visibility. That’s ironic since one of the best defenses soldiers have against drone attacks is their eyes.

While it’s laughable to see the silly innovations Russians are using, which clearly aren’t working out well, this war is highlighting an interesting fact: motorcycles continue to be important military equipment.

Yes, motorcycles don’t provide much protect for the rider(s) but they more than make up for that with their stealth, speed, and maneuverability. In these modern times, military motorcycle units have to contend with a new generation of drones, posing a real threat to them. But so do tanks and other armored units.

Russia has even been using armored golf carts and other strange contraptions, which have been shown to be vulnerable to drone strikes. So the drone problem for motorcycle assaults isn’t unique.

But we don’t think turtle motorcycles are going to be a viable military invention moving forward, just to be clear.

Image via Kanal13/YouTube

No peremoga without zrada.

Ukrainians post video of Russian motorcycle with sidecar that has a cage and tarp around it being hit by an FPV. But the two riders made it out alive with only some minor injuries.

War is insane. pic.twitter.com/nqB4fvt6rW

— Fennec_Radar (@RadarFennec) June 9, 2024