The care unit: how fighters are taught to escape from FPV drones on motorcycles

It is becoming increasingly difficult to move in the so-called kill zone: at a considerable distance from the line of contact, large areas of the terrain are viewed from drones, and equipment can become the target of kamikaze drones. Therefore, they try to use large vehicles, armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles less often near the front line. Fighters actively use pickups, buggies, ATVs and motorcycles to bring supplies and move infantry groups, and even electric bicycles and scooters in urban areas. The Izvestia correspondent visited one of the training grounds in the DPR and saw how the soldiers of the assault detachment of the 6th Guards Tank Regiment of the 90th Guards Tank Division of the Center group of forces were mastering motorcycles in conditions close to combat.

"Hide by maneuverability"

— We start small: start moving, drive in a straight line, stop. As we learn, we are already passing through all the obstacles that are set up on our track," says a motorcycle training instructor with the call sign Yakut.

Before becoming an instructor after being wounded, he performed tasks as part of a mobile platoon: he delivered ammunition and provisions, evacuated victims — in short, he worked where maximum speed and maneuverability were required. According to Yakut, there were situations when the success of the entire assault squad directly depended on the actions of his unit.

Yakut used a motorcycle to evacuate the wounded from places where it was impossible to reach by car. Two-wheeled vehicles could be quickly driven into a wooded area to hide from enemy drones.

Most often, supplies were delivered to the front line in backpacks or trunks, and oversized loads had to be taped directly to the body. The instructor explains: containers are not attached to the frame near the front line, since the rider must feel the balance with his whole body. Off-road, a shift in the center of gravity or an overweight can lead to a fall. In addition, when threatened from the air, a soldier jumps to the ground with his equipment, after which he decides whether to drop his backpack or take cover with valuable contents.

— You don't think about how many flights you've made. You're thinking about how to complete the task and come back alive. There were three or four trips a day, so it was definitely over a hundred," Yakut recalls.

The wolf grip: how Russian troops are squeezing the encirclement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The elimination of the boiler in the Kharkiv region will free up about 400 square kilometers. Are the authorities in Kiev interested in saving their soldiers

Air attack and tank moat

The training track includes a whole complex of obstacles — slides, trenches, imitation of rural streets. Dummy mines of various types are waiting for drivers on the way. FPV drones with mock-ups of an RPG shot are working from the air.

— The most difficult thing is to start uphill from the spot: when you go up the hill, you stop and start moving from a steep slope. At the front, this happens in tank trenches. You can't really get out of them, you're practically on the back wheel. And you need to literally fly up," says Pavel Chuvarkhin, an instructor in tactical training of attack aircraft.

According to him, the fighters travel part of the way on foot. However, in some situations, a quick "jump" on motorcycles can significantly shorten this period. Thanks to this, stormtroopers can take more equipment with them and spend less time in the affected area.

Motorcycles are hidden and masked at the dismount line, and then used to "roll back" when reinforcement groups have already established themselves in positions. This allows you to leave the dangerous area faster: the return journey often carries no less threats than the offensive.

— On a motorcycle, you can't hear what's flying from behind or above. The situation is better viewed and listened to on foot. But sometimes it's mobility that helps break the distance. Therefore, absolutely everyone in our company is trained without exception! If necessary, any fighter will be able to get behind the wheel and get to the right point," Pavel emphasizes.

Cons and advantages of electric trains

The main disadvantage of classic motorcycles in modern conditions is the loud engine, explains the instructor. Because of its noise, it is more difficult to hear the approach of an enemy UAV in time, although fighters are taught to distinguish this sound even while driving.

Silent electrical samples are devoid of this flaw, but they have their own vulnerabilities. First of all, this is the power reserve: the equipment has to be left in shelters until the right moment, since there is nowhere to recharge the battery at the front.

Another problem of electric transport is related to cross-country ability. According to Pavel, it is technically similar for models of equal power, but batteries increase the weight of the car. In wet grass or clay sticking to the wheels, it is important whether the fighter can pull out the stuck equipment on his own.

Electric vehicles have already found their niche at the front, but they have not yet become a full-fledged replacement for cars with internal combustion engines.