Delfast has been providing the Ukrainian Army with e-bikes since the first weeks of the war. This week CEO Daniel Tonkopi posted a photo of one armed with a missile. Soldiers have apparently been using this setup to take out Russian tanks.
Delfast’s are not your average e-bikes. As well as the 200-mile range Top 3.0, the Ukrainian firm has produced the 5000W Top Cop for police forces.
Tonkopi said that some of the bikes his firm has provided to assist with the war effort have been modified to carry Next Generation Light Anti-Armour Weapons (NLAWs), a lightweight single-use missile system that is used against tanks and other armoured vehicles.
The news appears to have come in response to questions about other Ukrainian e-bikes being used by the armed forces.
Writing on Facebook, Tonkopi said: “Many have sent me a link about how Ukrainian electric bikes are being handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, asking, ‘Is this Delfast?’
"I answer no, it's not Delfast. The media showed electric bikes of another Ukrainian manufacturer: Eleek from Ternopil.
“Does Delfast help the Armed Forces of Ukraine with electric bikes? Yup. We handed electric bikes to the frontline in the first weeks of the war, only we did not talk about it – some things we do quietly. Now we have received permission from the command, and we are posting photos.”
Tonkopi says Delfast is also donating, “at least 5% of all revenue to help Ukraine.”
This is not the only military use of e-bikes we’ve reported on. A regiment of the Australian army has been trialling the use of e-bikes for stealth reconnaissance.
The 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment of the Queensland Mounted Infantry says the “electric pushies” allow reconnaissance soldiers to move quickly and quietly throughout the battlefield, generating less noise and dust compared to traditional motorcycles.