After a long break, the Bayraktar TB-2 two-tailed boomed medium-height, medium-endurance (MAME) drone once again launched a strike mission to Russian troops. Recent examples were attacks on Wednesday on Russian ships and Black Sea coast forces.
Despite its limited number, these strikes marked a revival of a weapon so effective in the early days of a total war against Russian land convoys and ships that a song was written. Although still used to monitor less competitive areas, propeller-powered drones exited the frontline as strike weapons due to their susceptibility to Russian air defense and electronic warfare.
The Ukrainian Navy said in a telegram: “The Navy destroyed another high-speed ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is trying to transport airborne troops to Ternrivska spit. Seven occupants were destroyed and four were injured.” Although the Navy did not say how the strike happened, the video on the post showed surveillance and attacks from the view through Bayraktar’s unique video feed symbol.
A few weeks ago, the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency (GUR) released videos of the TB-2 strike on another small Russian ship, this time near the Zaliznyi Port in the Helsen region, about 30 miles southeast of Spit. The TB-2 dropped the small guided weapons so that they could hit multiple objects on a single order.
In June, the Ukrainian Navy launched a video of a TB-2 attack on the Russian landing ship on the west coast of Hosen.
However, before that, there were a long pause when using TB-2 for attacks.
Ukraine began using these drones even before the full-scale war began, which were made by Turkish Gulf Kali. The first strike was reportedly in October 2021, when it was used to destroy 122mm D-30 howitzers belonging to Russian-backed separatist forces, which Ukrainian authorities say was responsible for killing one of its soldiers and injuring another.
TB-2 will continue to play an important role in Ukraine as an unmanned platform capable of performing strike and reconnaissance missions in the early stages of the total war. The Bayraktar attack was key to stopping the long Russian mechanized column to Kiev.
TB-2 also helped Ukraine regain the Snake Island in the Western Black Sea by attacking the ships of rock outcrops and attempting to enter the ships.
This success has given Ukraine a rare hope in the future of becoming an independent country. In February 2022, Ukrainian artist Taras Borovok released a fascinating song about the Bayraktar drone spreading online.
Oryx open source tracking team said at least 26 TB-2s were destroyed by March 2022. The actual number may be significantly higher, as Oryx only tables the loss of visual evidence.
“Russia begins to adapt to the TB2 threat,” Ukrainians United24 Media noted in June. “Improved electronic warfare and layered air defense systems make it increasingly difficult for large, slow drones to operate safely. Ukrainian officials acknowledge that the TB2 is already very vulnerable to Russian systems such as Pantsir-S1, Buk and Tor.”
By 2023, the Ukrainian military has largely withdrawn the attacking role of the Belaktars, instead focusing on “reconnaissance, target names and rare strikes in lightly defending areas”, United24 Point out.
You can see an example of a TB-2 destroyed by Russian air defense in the video below.
Ukrainian and Russian sources noted that Ukraine’s Russian defense against Crimea and Helson’s sources pointed out that the ongoing attacks by Ukraine and Helson made it possible for Berktar to return as a strike weapon recently.
Yesterday’s Bayraktar attack “is especially important, given that the Ukrainian Defence Forces seem to systematically work to make such a mission possible by suppressing Russian air defense systems – interestingly, also through the use of unmanned technology,” Ukraine National Defense Express News media noted Thursday.
“Previously, ‘Bayraktars’ had already operated in the Spit area, but only used reconnaissance mode at a distance, rather than approaching the risk of strikes, as they inevitably became victims of air defense,” the Russian Military Correspondent Channel proposed on Wednesday. “Now, obviously due to regular strikes of Ukrainian drones [launched from boats] Ukraine Bayraktar TB2 provides a corridor for free operation along with the Starlink of air defense and radar on the Coulson region and the Crimean coast. ”
The following video shows an example of Ukraine’s attack on Russian air defense and radar systems.
Special Services in Ukraine have released videos from the past few days, which dismantled Russia’s air defense and radar networks in Crimea.
– Spravdi – Stratcom Center (@stratcomcentre) March 19, 2025
Ukraine has also been performing ongoing crackdown/damage of enemy defense capabilities (SEAD/DEAD) campaigns for years, including AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARMS) launched using fighter jets and guided Glide bombs as well as cross-front lines and plus air defense systems. This is the support of ongoing intelligence gathering, especially throughout the RF spectrum. It would make sense to operate the TB-2 near the farthest western distance of Russian-controlled territory, as this is the area where these anti-aircraft defense tactical aircraft operations are regularly conducted.
Ukraine’s highly predicted Russian defense and defense against Russian air defense is also a topic of topic War Zone It is also often solved. As we pointed out in the previous story: “Taking out these systems could open up vulnerabilities in the air defense overlays of Russia’s peninsula and the Northwest Black Sea. This could go a long way to ensure the survivability of stalemate strike weapons, such as the Storm Shadow shadow and Scarp-eg, and other attacks such as the long-range Kamikikaze Reals.” The loss of these systems may also help reduce situational awareness of the southern Ukrainian sky.
The opening using TB-2 may also be increased as the spitting of the contagious curly. This is the narrow land of Kherson, a Russian-occupied land on the northern Black Coast. So far, it is also the furthest unit in the western Russia. The coastal nature of the region and its terrain may also limit the deployment of Russian short-term air defense systems.
Ukraine has been repeatedly attacking Ternrivska spit because Russians are reportedly using it to place relay stations to expand their drone range.
In addition to land-based air defense, both sides are increasingly using interceptor drones to attack enemy drones.
Ukrainians Military Ni Media noted on Wednesday. “In particular, the invaders deployed relay stations to expand the range of reconnaissance and strike drones.”
Although the use of TB-2 in strike missions in this area points to safer airspace for operation, it certainly is not without its big risks. The advantage of the TB-2 is that if shot down, the crew will not be lost. No combat search and rescue work is required. Moreover, the Ukrainian Air Force’s lineup was not subject to precious tactical aircraft. In other words, you can take risks where a manned platform cannot. This is especially important because like manned tactical aircraft, the TB-2 can dynamically attack moving opportunity targets, which is something that most confrontational weapons cannot.
Another factor in using TB-2 for multiple tasks, including those with risk, is that they are now produced in Ukraine. It is worth noting that Russia has recently attacked facilities that are being built near these facilities. This is the fourth strike in six months, investing tens of millions of dollars in a factory.
New: Last night, the Belaktar factory in Kiev was hit by two Russian strikes. Causing serious damage.
Despite the war and previous attacks, the company invested tens of millions of well-trained employees and nearly completed the production facilities.
Several uses of Bayraktar as strike weapons do not mean that these drones will now become a conventional feature of Ukrainian air strike forces. However, these attacks demonstrate Ukraine’s ability to quickly adapt to battlefield conditions and leverage the seams and openings created in Russian air defense. It also questioned the exact state of Russia’s conceited air defense cover that extends to Ukrainian-Help territory. After years of beating, major cracks may appear.
