E-bikes Helping Ukrainians Fend Off Russian Attacks

Mobility is critical in combat scenarios, such as the one that has been unfolding in Ukraine for the past few months, to achieve strategic goals—in this case, protecting your homeland from invasion. While the Ukrainian army continues to rely on traditional modes of transportation such as jeeps, pickup trucks, and other medium-duty vehicles, it has begun to add lightweight electric vehicles to its fleet, particularly electric enduro motorcycles.

Internal combustion engines, even the tiniest ones used in mopeds and scooters, are loud and immediately detectable from long distances. They are especially detrimental in combat scenarios where stealth is crucial, as they can rapidly give you away to your opponents. As a result, electric bikes from ELEEK and Delfast are assisting Ukrainian troops in getting around.

Vadym Ignatov, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Association of Electric Vehicle Market Participants, wrote about the delivery of ELEEK Atom electric bikes to the Armed Forces earlier in May, noting that the military had previously inspected and given feedback on their performance.

He wrote in an article published by Mezha media, "We take into account all the wishes of our fighters, which were discovered during the combat use of the first units. And most importantly, they added a very important feature that will allow you to not take additional power banks in the raid. The companies have added a 220 V output, which will allow the use of any standard charger. After testing in real combat conditions, special forces fighters assessed the benefits of electric bikes and the need for them will increase.”

Danylo Tonkopiy, the company's founder and CEO, said:

"We brought electric bikes to the forefront in the first weeks of the war, but we didn’t talk about it—we did some things quietly. Now we have received permission from the command to publish photos of where and what our bikes are used."

To increase their fighting power, Ukrainian defenders have adapted motorcycles to carry NLAW rockets or Next Generation Light Anti-Armour Weapons. 

In an article published by Electrek, the workings of these rockets are discussed in great detail. These compact yet powerful weapons are designed to allow a single operator to take out an enemy tank in a single shot. They're also made to be carried by infantry and human-portable, making them much easier to transport on an electric bike.

Another advantage of NLAW rockets is that they can be used in conjunction with electric motorcycles. Getting into position to fire an NLAW rocket in an open location is particularly perilous since it commonly exposes the operator to the opponent's cannons as well as the surrounding soldiers' artillery. The soldier's vulnerability can be greatly decreased by quickly and quietly acquiring a shooting position and then leaving the area on a high-powered electric bike.

Source: Inside EVs

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