The Russian military command is modernizing training grounds with new motorcycle tracks and is planning a large-scale order of up to 200,000 Chinese motorcycles for the army, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported, News.bg reports.
In particular, the power structures in the Pokrovskoye direction have already developed official norms for the use of motorcycles in a combat situation. Russian military leaders are seeking to implement these standards in other areas of the front.
Currently, soldiers most often receive their motorcycles through voluntary donations or through personal purchases. However, the Russian Defense Ministry intends to centralize supplies by creating a specialized warehouse for motorcycles and related equipment.
According to a Telegram channel citing unspecified sources in the Russian military, Russia has already purchased over 40,000 motorcycles in 2024, of which 20,000 have already been delivered to combat units. Plans for the coming months include another 120,000 motorcycles, 30,000 ATVs, and 12,000 buggies, with the ultimate goal being by the end of 2025. is up to 200,000 motorcycles and 60,000 other light vehicles.
It is expected that instructors from the private military company “Wagner“ will be involved in training Russian soldiers in the use of these vehicles in combat conditions.
Despite the ambitious plans, there is no shortage of criticism. On June 30, a Russian military blogger and former instructor from the “Storm Z“ unit warned that motorcycles and SUVs are extremely vulnerable to Ukrainian drone attacks.
Meanwhile, Russian forces claim to have captured the entire Luhansk region, but this information has been denied by several Russian military bloggers.
On another front, the Ukrainian army continues its transformation to a corps structure and improves its training systems. In addition, Ukrainian forces continue to strike Russian defense-industrial facilities in the rear.
On the geopolitical scene, Russian-Azerbaijani relations are strained. The reason is a series of incidents that have increased tensions around the December 2024 overthrow of Azerbaijani passenger plane from the Russian side.
Additionally, an investigation by the Center for Human Rights in Armed Conflict confirms ISW's assessment that Russian forces are responsible for the 2022 strike that killed Ukrainian prisoners of war in the occupied Donetsk region.