Drones have revolutionized modern warfare, offering unprecedented surveillance, precision strikes, and intelligence gathering.
In Ukraine, drones not only identify targets but reveal peculiarities in battlefield tactics.
A recent video captures a scene both surreal and indicative of deeper issues within Russia's military: a soldier on a bicycle leading an armored vehicle across a field near the front lines.
This bizarre occurrence did reportedly take place in Russian-occupied Ukraine.
Sending soldiers on bikes, could be a sign of how logistical problems and resource shortages have pushed Russia’s forces to increasingly unconventional methods.
A Cyclist Leading a Tank
The footage was shared online by Russian soldiers via drone. It shows a cyclist guiding a 15-ton BMP infantry fighting vehicle.
According to the Estonian platform WarTranslated, the soldiers watching the feed mocked the scene, commenting on its absurdity.
“Fella on a bike is leading the BMP into [the] attack!” one remarked, while another mused, “Imagine what the [Ukrainians] are thinking right now.”
The cyclist’s actions reflect a desperate improvisation. Bans on civilian vehicles — implemented after a spate of deadly accidents caused by drunk driving — left Russian forces scrambling for alternatives.
Bikes, it seems, became the next best option.
Russia’s losses in Ukraine have been staggering, with over 11,000 armored vehicles reportedly destroyed since February 2022. To compensate, soldiers have used unregistered civilian cars, trucks, and even motorcycles. '
These makeshift measures worked until the new restrictions left troops without adequate transportation.
A popular Russian military blog, Two Majors, described the situation: “Everyone is on bicycles. Someone delivers ammunition, someone goes to positions, someone—to a meeting.”
While bicycles on the battlefield may seem laughable, they underline the strain on Russian logistics. The sight of a bike leading a tank starkly contrasts with the image of a modernized military.
Ukrainian forces, too, have occasionally used bikes near the front but as situational tools — not systemic replacements for vehicles.
