Russian forces turn to motorcycles amid equipment shortages in Ukraine
Russian troops are increasingly using motorcycles and light vehicles for assaults as they try to make up for a shortage of armored vehicles.
As early as spring 2024, it became apparent that Russian forces were frequently utilizing motorcycles to assault positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, aiming to compensate for losses of armored vehicles and evade destruction by Ukrainian drones. These attempts to storm the Ukrainian Defense Forces' fortifications on motorcycles, cars, or even quad bikes, continue to this day.
The reasons cited include a shortage of equipment among Russians - Ukrainian forces are destroying enemy equipment in large numbers. However, according to Oleksandr Kovalenko, a military-political observer for the Information Resistance group, in May 2025, Russian forces are showing a significant decrease in losses of main battle tanks and armored combat vehicles, potentially reaching the lowest level since July 2023.
Equipment losses for Russia in the first half of May 2025 show just 90 tanks destroyed or damaged by mid-May. If this trend continues, it will set a record low for losses. In the armored vehicle category, a similar situation arises: 173 units lost in the first half of the month, marking the lowest figure in nearly two years.
This trend reflects not only the conservation of equipment but also its actual shortage within Russian units.
In many cases, the equipment shortage reaches 60-70% of regular organizational levels. "Here, it should be noted that conserving armored vehicles and the overall shift of Russian troops to light transport may lead to accumulation of this component, considering remaining Soviet-era reserves, domestic production, and repair of damaged equipment," noted Kovalenko. The expert asserts that this approach effectively simulates a "ceasefire" effect, allowing Russian forces to stockpile armored vehicles amid non-critical losses of tanks and combat vehicles. However, this comes at the cost of significant personnel losses, as infantry and light vehicles lack proper protection. The Russian command seems to disregard human casualties, prioritizing the preservation of equipment.
According to military expert Pavel Narozhny, in 2025, Russian troops faced a critical equipment shortage leading to reduced equipment losses on the front. Although they still have some equipment, the Russian army is very protective of it, especially armor like tanks, BMPs, and BTRs. While previously Russian forces attacked using a traditional method where an armored convoy breaks through defenses followed by infantry, such operations have become rare now. The majority of combat is handled by infantry, with about 10-20% using motorcycles for faster movement. "These are essentially the same infantry, just moving quicker and that’s it. However, motorcycles offer no protection, leaving soldiers vulnerable to any threats.
As a result, Russian troops avoid large-scale armored attacks, which explains the decreased equipment losses," says Narozhny. He believes that Russians cannot restore their armored vehicles according to their needs.
Even the most optimistic claims say Russia produces only 220-240 tanks a year, while the rest of production involves repairing old equipment. Usually, Soviet-era equipment is restored: fixing engines, wiring, and replacing whatever is possible. In the best case, modern sights or electronics are added, but that’s rare. Outdated tanks, like the T-55, are used not as combat units but as "armored taxis" for transporting infantry. Russian engineers on-site equip them with improvised protective structures, known as "chicken coops." These so-called tanks are not used as artillery since their firing range is limited to 8-10 kilometers. This is why the losses in these units have decreased. The same pattern is observed with artillery.
"Speaker for the Southern Defense Forces Vlad Voloshyn explained that Russians are forced to send their artillerymen into battle as infantry—simply because they have nothing to shoot. Without necessary equipment, particularly sights, artillery systems become practically useless. One Ukrainian artilleryman aptly noted: 'Without a sight, we are not an army, but a band of wanderers with a pile of scrap metal.' For this reason, Russian artillerymen can’t perform their main tasks and are forced to fight as infantry. This is why it seems equipment losses are fewer—there’s actually just no effective equipment or personnel to use," emphasizes Narozhny. Consequently, the expert noted that this situation reflects a deep crisis in the Russian army: depletion of equipment supplies, low production rates, and reliance on outdated models force reliance on infantry and improvised means, reducing the effectiveness of their operations.