Vladimir Putin’s forces have been reduced to using World War 2-style weaponry against Ukraine as the war continues to take its toll on Russia’s armour.
Footage circulated on Russian social media shows soldiers using motorbikes and sidecars with covers over the top of them. Known as motorised sheds, these were used during World War 2, reported Forces.Net.
Since their invention, motorbikes have long been used in combat to transport troops, weaponry, and messages. However, their deployment to such a large extent in Ukraine has suggested that Russia continues to run low on heavy armour to deliver equipment to the frontline.
It comes months after more footage on social media suggested that the Russian military was now using civilian vans as means of transport for their troops rather than armoured personnel carriers.
Those vans, officially known as UAZ-452s, but also colloquially referred to as ‘Loaf vans’ have been used as resupply vehicles.
Footage of these vans, some of which are nearly 60 years old, shows them transporting troops and being attacked by tanks and drones as soldiers flee from the burning wreckage.
Powered by 2.7-litre engines that send 112bhp to all four wheels, the machines are only slightly more powerful than the motorbikes now in deployment near the frontline.
This is a frontline that has become increasingly blood-stained as Ukraine continues to inflict severe losses on Putin’s army. Earlier this week, Ukraine claimed Russia had lost 543,810 soldiers since it invaded the country in February 2022.
This figure is alleged to have risen by 1,100 since the last update the day before on June 30. Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer about impact of his soldiers on the battlefield, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed six Russians were dying for every single Ukrainian.
He claimed: “Indeed, they have a much larger population, and we take care about our soldiers more [than they do]. Indeed, we will not have a larger population than Russia. However, for every six Russians, one Ukrainian dies today [on the battlefield].”
What’s more, as the war continues, it’s not just Ukrainians and Russians who are dying, but soldiers from other countries who have travelled over to help as well.
In recent days it was announced that Peter Fouche, founder the Project Konstantin, had died on June 27 shortly after reportedly being wounded by Russian soldiers. Writing on X, a statement by Project Konstantin said: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of Pete, our beloved director and founder.
“There are no words that can do Pete’s life justice. No words or phrases that could ever encapsulate how much he meant to all of us. Pete’s unwavering dedication, endless compassion, and relentless commitment to Ukraine and her people have left an everlasting impact on the countless lives he touched.”