I don't know if you know this about me, but my graduate school background was in the defense arena. I spent countless hours and long nights thinking about what could happen if war were to break out between large powers, i.e. Russia, the United States, China, etc. And my analysis was based on information we currently had, in that these powers would conduct pretty swift campaigns.
Boy, was I wrong, as the current war in Ukraine has proved so perfectly.
Despite the bluster of the great bear that is Russia, forces there have been stymied, broken, hunted down, and largely thrown into a meat slaughter they're ill-equipped to fight against. They're mostly untrained, have lackluster supplies and support, and are often just sent directly into the path of a firing squad like it's WWI at the advent of the machine gun.
And never has there been a better illustration of that fact than the video below, where a Russian soldier was captured via drone footage attempting to jump what appears to be an anti-tank ravine with a motorcycle of some sort. It doesn't go well for them.
Warning: The end portion of the video is graphic in nature.
Russian motorcycle assault did not go according to plan.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) May 15, 2025 at 2:12 AM
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Throughout the Russian aggression in Ukraine, both sides have used civilian vehicles, modified powersport vehicles, or home-grown powersport vehicles for fast-attack modes of transportation. Motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, and even PWC-based drones have littered the battlefield. Russia, in particular, have capitalized on dirt bikes and motorcycles for infantry movements, though that's been of little benefit according to most sources.
This video, however, seems to be the illest conceived plan of them all. And that's saying something.
First off, it looks as if it's not even a dirt bike, but a regular motorcycle equipped with off-road tires. So jumping it without proper suspension would already be an idiotic move, as even if you landed on the other side, you're likely to bottom out and send the rider flying. Second, the soldier is in full gear, meaning they'd be heavier than just a rider attempting to jump the ravine. That weight will pull you down to the ground faster, and with more force, so when you do hit, it's going to be far worse than had they just had normal gear on.
And lastly, the ravine in question, as mentioned above, looks to be a man-made anti-tank cut in the ground. Ukrainian forces have dug these trenches to stymie Russian tanks throughout the countryside. But that means these things aren't your average tabletops. They're literally there to stop tanks.
Now, here's where I have to say that a lot of Russia's infantry is made up of conscripts. And forced conscription has been well-documented. Furthermore, it's been reported that frontline generals often hold machine guns to their backs and make soldiers advance into the most precious and dangerous of situations. Basically, they're either going to get shot by their own countrymen for not obeying idiotic and suicidal orders or they can take their chances with the Ukrainian military and its forces. It's a lose-lose situation, one that absolutely needs to be halted.
Personally, I don't see the above video being the soldier's idea. But maybe they watched a lot of The Great Escape but didn't finish that scene where Steve McQueen jumps the fence?
