A Bayraktar TB2 combat drone. Source: Baykar.
On February 23, a Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 combat drone of Kiev forces was reportedly shot down over the Kharkiv region.
Some sources said that the Bayraktar TB2 was shot down by the Russian military. However, others said that Ukrainian air defense opened fire at the drone in a friendly-fire incident. Video footage showing the wreckage surfaced online.
The Bayraktar TB2, which was developed by Baykar Defense, has an endurance of up to 24 hours and an operational range of less than 300 kilometers. The drone is typically equipped with the Canadian-made Wescam MX-15D optical targeting system and can be armed with up to four laser-guided MAM-C and MAM-L munitions made by Turkey’s Roketsan.
Turkey supplied dozens of Bayraktar TB2 drones to Ukraine before the beginning of the Russian special military operation. More drones were shipped to the country after the beginning of the operation, likely under a secret deal with Kiev. The last batch, which consisted of two drones, was reportedly delivered for free in January.
The vast majority of Ukraine’s Bayraktar TB2 drones have already been shot down or destroyed on the ground by the Russian military.
The heavy losses forced Ukraine to restrict the use of its few remaining Bayraktar TB2s. The drones are reportedly being used for reconnaissance only, dozens of kilometers away from the frontline in the special operation zone and the Russian border.
