Ukrainian soldiers ride buggies, ATVs and electric bicycles - WSJ

The Wall Street Journal reports that Ukraine uses beach buggies, ATVs and electric bicycles on the front because these machines are quieter and harder to detect and hear. This gives front-line troops a better chance of avoiding russian drones and surviving.

According to the newspaper, the proliferation of reconnaissance and attack drones means that any movement near the front line can be detected in a matter of minutes. To avoid this threat, Ukraine and russia use a variety of small, quiet and maneuverable vehicles to deliver goods, evacuate the wounded, and sometimes even to send troops into battle.

The WSJ notes that these small vehicles cannot completely replace traditional military vehicles. They lack the firepower and space to carry large numbers of people or cargo, and their lack of armor leaves everyone on board vulnerable.

But these alternative means of transportation fill a niche that soldiers on the front lines say has become necessary.

"On a recent night, Private Vitalii Shablii loaded 350 kg of ammunition and water into a buggy that is normally used on a farm. He turned off the headlights and headed for a front-line trench 15 miles away. The buggy, about 10 feet long (3 meters - Ed.) and 5 feet high (1 meter - Ed.), was welded in Kyiv and uses a Volkswagen engine. The smaller the better in this war," he said.

The Shablii’s brigade also has a Chinese-made quad bike. Both vehicles are mainly used for transporting goods, often with a trailer, but the buggy was also used to transport the wounded.

For the fighters of the Azov brigade, who are fighting in the Kreminskyi forest in the east of Ukraine, smaller vehicles are necessary to deliver supplies.

The infantry commander with the call sign "Iraq" says that the boys survive only thanks to the small vehicles, because nothing else can get there in the forest and on these narrow paths.

A front-line medic named Andrii said that he was constantly thinking about how to get to the wounded as quickly as possible without coming under enemy fire. He looked at e-scooters, bicycles and motorcycles, but decided that the maneuverability of the unicycle was superior.

"It allows you to overcome any obstacle, such as sand or mud," he said, adding that it can also go up to 40 miles per hour.

Electric bikes are also occasionally used on the front lines because of their invisibility, and have the added benefit of generating less heat for radar and thermal imaging, their manufacturers say.

Ukrainian manufacturer of electric bicycles Eleek claims to have supplied the military with more than 100 bicycles. The Atom model, which costs about USD 4,850, can travel at speeds of more than 40 miles per hour and has a range of 62 miles, the report said.

The Ukrainian military also uses a number of different ATVs, including models from the American manufacturer Polaris, Japanese Yamaha and various Chinese brands. Some of them can reach speeds of over 70 miles per hour.

Traveling at high speed over rough terrain makes them unstable, and the lack of armored protection leaves drivers and passengers vulnerable to enemy fire.