The Russian army is already using motorbikes and buggies for attacks in areas where everything that moves is destroyed by drones, former Deputy Defense Minister Yordan Bozhilov said on BNT. According to him, there is no option for achieving a breakthrough in the war in Ukraine and Russia must understand this.
"Russia is already attacking with people on motorbikes and buggies, in areas where anything that moves is destroyed by drones," Bozhilov said. He explained that in a year, Russian forces have captured only a strip of Ukraine, which represents 0.4% of its territory, while Ukrainian forces have launched serious strikes inside Russia on precisely selected military and energy facilities.
International sources confirm the Bulgarian expert's analysis. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in Washington documented the systematic integration of motorcycles into Russian offensives in 2025. The Russian Defense Ministry released videos showing paratroopers being trained to use motorcycles for attacks in groups of two and three.
Ukrainian military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Pavlo Shamshin confirmed to local media that Russia was using motorcycles along the entire front line, including in the Kharkiv region. The tactic is a response to Ukraine’s dominance of drones, which have destroyed thousands of Russian armored vehicles.
According to Ukrainian data, 100 Russian motorcycles, 240 soldiers, and 20 armored vehicles were destroyed in an attack on Pokrovsk on April 17, 2025. In early May, another attack near the village of Vilne Pole resulted in the destruction of up to 70 motorcycles, 90 soldiers and 60 vehicles using mines, drones and artillery.
A study by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) shows that drones are responsible for 60-70% of Russian military systems damaged or destroyed. This has forced the Russian army to adapt, using motorcycles that can travel at speeds of up to 72 kilometers per hour over rough terrain.
Bozhilov also commented on US sanctions against Russian oil companies, saying that they will have a serious effect. On October 22, 2025, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against the two largest Russian oil companies - Rosneft and Lukoil.
"Stopping the flow of fresh currency will prevent the purchase of new military components, will generally disrupt the Russian economy and will have a social effect on Russians," the expert explained.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said that the sanctions are aimed at reducing the Kremlin's ability to raise revenue for its military machine. The two companies together export more than three million barrels of oil per day and account for almost half of Russia's oil exports.
The European Union welcomed the US sanctions and adopted its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the US sanctions a "clear signal that continuing the war has its price".
Indian oil company Reliance Industries, the largest buyer of Russian oil, is already planning to reduce or stop imports of Russian crude oil to comply with the sanctions, according to Reuters.