Bayraktar drone
As of 2022 the Turkish built Bayraktar drone was considered one of the most effective deadly offensive drones used by the Ukrainian military at the start of 2022 Russo-Ukraine war.[1] By July 2022 it had lost its significance and reliability.[2]
In 2020 Turkish and Ukrainian officials announced the establishment of a joint venture to produce Bayraktar TB2s in Ukraine. A Bayraktar TB2 conducted a reconnaissance flight over the Donbas region on 9 April 2021. This was the first operationalization of the aircraft by the Ukrainian Forces within an active conflict zone.
In October 2021, a Bayraktar TB2 drone was used for the first time in combat during the Donbas war, targeting a Donetsk Peoples Militia artillery position, destroying a D-30 howitzer, and halting the bombardment of Ukrainian troops near Hranitne.
On June 20, 2022, the Russian armed forces shot down 21 Bayraktars in a single day, a new record.[3]
Delivery vehicle for biological weapons
Ukraine had sent a request to the manufacturing company regarding the possibility of equipping the Bayraktar drones with aerosol equipment. On March 9, 2022, three unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with 30-litre containers and equipment for spraying formulations were detected by Russian reconnaissance units in Kherson region. At the end of April 2022, ten more were found near Kakhovka.[4]
Destruction of Bayraktar drone factory
During large-scale strikes on Kiev in August 2025, Russia reportedly destroyed a Turkish production facility for producing Bayraktar drones: According to available information, the factory was hit twice, resulting in serious damage to the production facilities. The facility was literally set to be launched in August 2025, after being under construction since 2024. The manufacturer of the Bayraktar TB2 UAVs planned to build a drone production plant on the territory of Ukraine back in 2022, and the construction itself was launched at the beginning of 2024 with the expected readiness of the enterprise by August 2025. Apparently, there will be problems with readiness. According to some reports, the August 2025 strike was already the 4th in 6 months. There is a feeling that the ceremonial ribbon-cutting will not happen.
