‘Took Their Tricolor and Red Rags’ – Ukraine Smashes Russian Motorcycle Assault Near Ruins

The National Guard of Ukraine has released a video showing their defeat of a Russian motorcycle onslaught in which Kremlin troops tried to plant their flag on the ruins of a building, instead getting obliterated by drones rebuffing the motorized meat assault

“Another attempt by the occupiers to break through the battle formations of the Defense Forces at any cost. The main actors are infantry on motorcycles and many means of their elimination,” wrote National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko, who shared the footage via Telegram.

The assault was stopped by the joint efforts of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” (1st Corps of the National Guard) and the 49th Separate Assault Battalion “Carpathian Sich.”

The video shows a Russian motorcycle column approaching Ukrainian positions, some riders carrying red banners or the Russian tricolor. Moments later, a wave of explosions tears through the area, presumably from drone-dropped munitions and artillery.

Trigger warning: sensitive content.

“In the last round, the Russians took their tricolor and red rags – everything to hang the flag on the ruins,” Pivnenko said.

The footage appears to show the Russian troops reaching a destroyed building, likely the spot where they intended to plant their flags. However, Ukrainian forces halted the assault, and the video ends with bodies of wounded or dead Russian soldiers lying next to their motorcycles.

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Kyiv Post could not independently verify the time or location of the video.

Last week, Ukrainian drones destroyed nearly a dozen Russian assault troops on motorcycles in the Kupyansk sector (Kharkiv region), according to the State Border Guard Service.

Ukrainian strikes eliminated 10 motorcycles, two ATVs, and eight Russian soldiers as they attempted to storm Ukrainian positions. The Border Guard also disclosed that Russian troops are experimenting with new tactics in the Donetsk region, including motorcycle columns and ground drones.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports growing Russian use of motorcycles in combat. Troops from the 98th Airborne Division have been training with them for both offense and defense.

Though some Western analysts mocked the trend as “Mad Max-style,” Russian forces are using motorcycles to evade Ukraine’s FPV drone strikes, despite their noisy engines making them easier to detect.

Ukraine is also recognizing the tactical utility. According to Defense Blog, Maj. Gen. Vladyslav Klochkov said:

“Motorized vehicles, although not armored, are indispensable in the work of the infantry. They allow them to quickly get to their positions, deliver necessary equipment, or evacuate the wounded.”

As drones dominate the battlefield, mobility is now critical. With roads near the front becoming more dangerous, motorcycles offer off-road versatility for transport, logistics, and medevac. Both sides appear poised to rely more on such light vehicles, as per Kyiv Post.

In April, Russia stepped up assaults in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, deploying large infantry groups supported by motorcycles, buggies, and armored vehicles.

One of the fiercest clashes took place on April 17 near Pokrovsk, where Ukraine’s 14th National Guard Brigade repelled a major mechanized assault. Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko reported 200 Russian troops killed, along with 96 motorcycles, 21 armored vehicles, and artillery systems.

“This battle is a testament to our defenders’ professionalism and coordination,” he said, sharing battle footage.

Mykola Koval of the 14th Brigade described it as one of the sector’s largest attacks. Junior Sergeant Stanislav Bunyatov added that the use of “two-wheeled disposable stormtroopers” scatters attention, complicates artillery targeting, and reduces drone effectiveness.

“It is many times more difficult to repel this kind of assault compared to traditional attacks.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the scale of the Pokrovsk battle, saying Ukrainian troops eliminated 115 Russian vehicles and killed 200 soldiers, with 30 more wounded.

On April 16, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian forces repelled a Russian assault involving 320 personnel, 40 armored vehicles, and three tanks, thanks to early drone detection. The battle lasted 2.5 hours.

On April 14, the 3rd Mechanized Battalion of Ukraine’s Presidential Brigade released footage of another failed Russian assault, showing around 20 motorcycles and over 20 armored vehicles destroyed, with up to 200 Mosco