UKRAINE WARThe Role of Drones in Ukraine’s Military Defense

By Lauren A. Kahn

Published 3 March 2022

Drones are playing a critical role in Ukraine’s military defense against the Russian invasion, but they will likely become more vulnerable as the war expands.

Drones are playing a critical role in Ukraine’s military defense against the Russian invasion, but they will likely become more vulnerable as the war expands.

What Are Ukraine’s Drone Cpabilities?
Ukraine possesses at least twelve Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones, and reports suggest that it might have as many as thirty-six additional units. These are the same drones that Azerbaijan used effectively against Armenia in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Ukraine first purchased six of these medium-altitude, tactical uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAV) from Turkey in a $69 million deal in 2019. Each Bayraktar TB2 system consists of six aerial vehicles (or drones), two ground control stations, and related support equipment, so the initial purchase was for one complete system. The UAVs, which are Ukraine’s only armed UAV capability, have a range of up to three hundred kilometers, last up to twenty-seven hours, and can carry up to four laser-guided munitions.

At the start of the Russian invasion, Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Ignat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, said Ukraine had approximately twenty Bayraktar drones. Baykar (the drone manufacturer), Turkey, and Ukraine have all declined to confirm the number of drones that have been delivered to Ukraine to date.

The Bayraktar TB2 initially proved itself when Turkey used them against Russian-made vehicles in Libya and Syria; it solidified this reputation in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. In these conflicts, the drones successfully destroyed armored vehicles and mobile air defense systems.       

How Has Ukraine Used These Drones against Russian Forces?
The first reports of Ukraine using the Bayraktar TB2s against Russian forces since the invasion came on February 27, 2022. Ukrainian General Serhiy Shaptala shared video footage on Twitter of a TB2 hitting a Russian Buk surface-to-air missile system near a town around one hundred kilometers northwest of Kyiv. Ukraine’s air force has since confirmed two drone strikes on Russian targets. Many more have been shared on social media, but they have not been verified.