Vladimir Putin has tried out a new tactic in Ukraine to try and overcome Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops with embarassing results. So-called suicide bikes – made in China – ride across no man’s land at 50mph in an effort to cause chaos behind enemy lines. But, they are reportedly often ineffective, taken out by drones or artillery fire. Some even destroy themselves by crashing into shell craters. These “iron horses”, as they have become known to Russian forces, are a growing part of Putin’s attempt to gain ground.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes that a servicemember in a Ukrainian brigade reported on June 24 that the threat of Russian motorcycle assaults is increasing along the frontline as soldiers increasingly integrate them into assault tactics. They stated that the vehicles are “no longer attacking along roads but mainly attacking through open fields and trying to bypass Ukrainian engineering barriers along the frontline”.

Ukraine-based open-source intelligence organization Frontelligence Insight said described on June 23 a “tactical doctrine” that the Russian military is establishing for motorcycle usage.

Russian forces are reportedly “mainly using motorcycles as a form of transport for attacking infantry to support diversion, reconnaissance, infiltration, and flanking support missions”.

Frontelligence Insight also reported that Russian motorcyclists operate in squads of six to eight motorcycles with one or two riders on each motorcycle, between six and 16 personnel in total.

It added that each squad has two to four portable electronic warfare (EW) systems, and one device scanning for Ukrainian drones.

On the “suicide bikes”, Yevhen, a lieutenant captain in Ukraine’s 28th brigade, told The Times: “Basically it’s a suicide mission. Because they never come back.”

Using motorcycles, the ISW reports, is a tactic that the Russian military “may leverage in future wars beyond Ukraine, possibly including operations against NATO states”.

Experts added: “Frontelligence Insight reported that Russian forces have been training troops on motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) at ad hoc motocross tracks in Russia and occupied Ukraine as of Spring 2025.”

Those in the know also said that Russian forces are “conducting more advanced training programs, including for drone evasion, and that the length of these courses varies between 16 hours to over a month”.