In an unorthodox turn of tactics amid their conflict with Ukraine, Russia has reverted to 'back to basics' as its soldiers at the front lines have abandoned armoured tanks for the swifter option of motorcycles due to persistent drone strikes.

Recent images have surfaced depicting troopers utilising these 'more nimble' vehicles for launching attacks on Ukrainian forces while nimbly evading their skyborne threats. Despite this strategic shift, President Vladimir Putin and Russia's leading military commander, Valery Gerasimov, haven't entirely forsaken conventional strategies, with tanks still staying in reserve to deliver supportive firepower.

This tactical innovation isn't entirely unprecedented. Recalling past conflicts, US troops were pursued by the Mexican insurgent Pancho Villa on motorcycles back in 1916, and during WW2, messages were rapidly relayed across the battlefield by motorcycle couriers who dodged German reconnaissance detachments mounted with sidecar machine guns – a tradition that persists today with the use of motorcycles by US special forces.

According to a report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this adjustment reflects a blend of ingenuity more than dire necessity. The report outlines: "Russia's increased use of motorcycles is an adaptation in response to pervasive Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian armored vehicles and the unsustainable armored vehicle losses that Russian forces suffered in late 2023 and 2024."

Believing that motorcycles offer the ideal combination of speed to charge enemy lines, lightness to manoeuvre through tough terrains beyond the reach of larger machines like tanks, and agility to dodge drone surveillance, Russian forces are integrating these two-wheelers into their warfare strategy with inventive aplomb, reports the Mirror US.

A Ukrainian soldier stationed near Pokrovsk informed ISW: "Russian motorcyclists are currently attacking in columns of eight motorcycles with electronic warfare (EW) support and that Russian servicemembers carry EW systems at the front, centre, and end of the columns to protect the motorcycles from Ukrainian drone strikes."

Another soldier added: "Each Russian motorcycle has two riders - a driver and a gunner - and that Russian forces continue attacking on the motorcycle in the event that Ukrainian drone operators only kill one rider."

ISW said: "Russian forces likely see a tactical opportunity in leveraging motorcycles and civilian vehicles to advance and seize as much Ukrainian territory as possible ahead of possible ceasefire or peace negotiations,".

However, it is widely speculated that this tactical shift did not stem from the Russian command structure but was rather an improvised solution at the grassroots level.

Frontline troops, who had suffered severe casualties from drone strikes, reportedly conceived the idea.

Russia's Ministry of Defence is now endeavouring to formally incorporate motorcycle operations, which includes establishing training centres and integrating them into regular Russian combat formations.