Russians Fit Motorcycles with Screening Smoke – Video Shows Has Opposite Effect

The “Russia No Context” milblogger posted a video on Telegram on Monday, July 22, that showed two Russian military trail bikes fitted with improvised frames which held Russian UDSh training mines.

UDSh, modeled on the TM-62M anti-vehicle emits smoke during training to indicate a landmine has functioned or to simulate a chemical landmine. It can be initiated electronically or manually and discharges smoke for eight to ten minutes.

The video shows one of the bikes driving with smoke pouring out from the back as it drives around lanes apparently close to the battlefield. The problem is, if screening from drone or Ukrainian direct fire was the intended purpose of the modification, it has the opposite effect.

The smoke comes off the bike like the contrail from an aircraft so rather than masking the vehicle it acts like a pointer which shows exactly where the motorcycle has been and where it is now, actually allowing a surveillance or attack drone to better target the bike.

Russian commanders still seemed wedded to the idea of using motorcycles and buggies as assault weapons – despite the horrendous casualties that result. The smokescreen idea was the latest attempt by the troops who have to carry out the assaults. They have even tried fitting them with so-called “Cope Cages” to protect the riders from Ukrainian first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drones.

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However, another Monday Telegram post by another milbloggers, “Reporter [Andrei] Filatov,” showed that bikes were still being sent into attacks. With the unprotected bikes their drivers suffer the fate of so many Russian troops that went before. He made it clear how foolish he thought the tactic was and blamed short-sighted and callous commanders for continuing with the strategy.

Both Russian and Ukrainian sources report that in some instances almost half of all Russian assaults are spearheaded by motorcycles, ATVs and buggies, the theory being that they can move more quickly than dismounted infantry, avoid obstacles and are less likely to be spotted than armored vehicles. The truth is that the fate of Russian soldiers going into battle on motorcycles is similar to the fate of Russians going into battle in meat grinder assaults, however, on motorcycles, they die quicker.