Ukrainian Fighters Take to Electric Bikes in War Against Russia

"Ukrainian fighters are using electric bikes in the battle against Russia," reports the Washington Post, "mostly in support of reconnaissance missions, demining operations and medical deliveries, according to one of the Ukrainian e-bike makers involved."

The bikes have a top speed of 55 miles per hour and are relatively silent, helping their riders evade Russian fire. When the war began, Eleek gave a few bikes to the military, according to manager Roman Kulchytskyi. Soon after, they began to mass-produce bikes with a small Ukrainian flag on the rear wheel. Eleek was working from a bomb shelter and was making a power bank out of battery cells it had left in stock. It launched a social media campaign to get people to send in their electronic cigarettes after struggling for parts. The company added footrests for passengers, improved the charging time, installed a battery control system, and included a 220V output that can help power Starlink satellite internet terminals. One advantage of the bikes is that they don't have to be seen by the military, which uses thermal imagers to detect differences in temperature and help locate potential targets. The electric motor does not heat up like an internal combustion engine. The founder of Delfast, a California-based e-bike company, wrote on his Facebook page that his firm has been donating electric bikes to the Ukrainian army since the war broke out. He said he received feedback from the military that they planned to use the bikes to target Russian armored vehicles, and he included pictures of the bikes carrying antitank weapons. Several vehicles came back with holes, but the riders were intact. 5 percent of all sales will be donated to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

The article notes electric bikes are also being tested by Asutralia's military and New Zealand's Air Force.