Ukrainian military forms the first motorcycle assault company under the Skala Regiment

The first assault motorcycle company in the Armed Forces of Ukraine was formed as part of the 425th separate assault Skala regiment.

This was reported by the regiment’s press service.

Judging by the published photos, among other tactics, the company is practicing moving in large “swarms” of motorcycles, each carrying two fighters: a driver and a gunner.

Both are armed with AKS-74U assault rifles, which are designed to simplify shooting on the move, as well as to facilitate maneuvering and weapon handling in general. After dismounting, the driver and gunner act as a pair.

Assault drills are conducted under cover of smoke screens, but the method of setting them up is not shown. It is quite possible that smoke grenades, such as UDSH or DM-11, are to be dropped using drones.

The service members note that the regiment has provided full and high-quality training for its personnel, with no restrictions on fuel or ammunition.

It can be assumed that, by analogy with the Russians, the motorcycles will be assigned specific roles: one may carry radio-electronic countermeasures, while another may tow stretchers for the wounded or ammunition.

The main task of such motorcycle units is to quickly capture positions by rapidly breaking through open terrain, minimizing the time needed for the enemy to detect and respond with fire.

The Russians, for example, use tactics of imposing a maneuverable, dynamic battle, followed by mopping up, securing positions, and transitioning to a circular defense.

Russian experience

The tactic of using motorcycles in assault operations by Russian troops is not new — it has been developed over at least the last year, gradually reaching a new level of quality, particularly in terms of scale.

For example, on April 14, it became known that Russian troops had carried out an unsuccessful offensive operation in the area of the village of Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region, involving up to 41 motorcycles.

Earlier, on January 16, Militarnyi reported on the assault on the positions of the 10th Edelweiss Brigade using 39 motorcycles. And this is not the limit. On April 17, it was reported that an assault was carried out using hundreds of motorcycles.

Last year, there were reports that Russian infantry, including marines, were practicing storming positions using motorcycles.

Volunteer and activist Roman Donik reported that Russian troops were conducting training for motorcycle assault units under an intensive 10-day program.

During the exercises, the enemy is practicing moving in small groups of 3–5 infantrymen, as well as in columns or “swarms” of 30–50 motorcyclists.

Such units operate on a front up to 600 meters wide and with a depth of advance of up to 1.5 kilometers.

The ultimate goal of the training is to form assault groups capable of making deep breakthroughs with the ability to hold their positions for 3–4 days while awaiting reinforcements.

There is also a functional division of motorcyclists within the assault groups:

• a motorcyclist with radio-electronic warfare equipment (moving in the center of the group),
• an evacuation motorcyclist (towing specialized stretchers for the wounded),
• a motorcyclist or buggy driver with mines,
• a motorcyclist-chemist.