Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 aerial drones are reportedly revolutionising modern warfare and causing chaos to Russia’s invasion hopes. Ukraine has bought at least 36 of the feared TB2 aircraft designed by Selcuk Bayraktar, chief technology officer of the defence company Baykar. The weapon has a 12-metre wingspan and can fly at heights of 25,000 feet before dashing down to crush tanks and artillery with laser-guided bombs that can pierce through armour.
It can reportedly stay in the air for up to 27 hours, and fly up to 150km away from its base, and is powered by a propellor engine.
Mr Bayraktar said: “Bayraktar TB2 is doing what it was supposed to do – taking out some of the most advanced anti-aircraft systems and advanced artillery systems and armoured vehicles.”
He added: “The whole world is a customer.”
This comes as Russia claimed it wiped out a NATO drone used by Ukraine with an electronic warfare system.
Russian state-owned media RIA Novosti reports: “Russian electronic warfare systems suppressed a NATO strategic drone over the Black Sea, which approached the coast of Crimea.
“Potentially, the device tried to conduct reconnaissance of Russian facilities and forces in the interests of the Ukrainian troops.”
And according to Oryx’s definitive tally, Russia has reportedly downed seven out of Ukraine’s 36 Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones.
But Vladimir Putin is likely concerned by these drones, as Euractiv reports that Russia’s Defence Ministry has named dropped the drone up to 45 times since the start of the Ukraine invasion.
This also comes as Turkey has been accused of being a mediator between Ukraine and Russia since the start of the war.
And Ankara has frustrated Kyiv by refusing to sanction the invaders.
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Avoiding crossing into Turkish territory could have been a move by NATO to avoid placing Turkey into a difficult diplomatic situation due to its close ties with Russia.
Turkish politics expert Steven Cook told the publication: “It’s quite different from other NATO allies.
“The Turks are really trying to position themselves in a way where they support Ukrainian sovereignty but also want to use their good offices in both places to try to meditate.”
The Turkish state has also reportedly been trying to distance itself from the sale of the TB2 drones to Ukraine, stressing that pre-war sales to Ukraine were a private deal.
A high-ranking official said: “These are private companies and these drone purchases had been done before the war as well.”