TB2 Drones in Ukraine: Nearly 60 Confirmed Strikes, but 26 Already Lost

Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones flying for Ukraine have been linked to nearly 60 confirmed strikes on Russian vehicles and military equipment since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, hitting tanks, supply trucks, and anti-aircraft missile systems. At the same time, the open-source tracking project Oryx has documented the loss of at least 26 such aircraft on the Ukrainian side, downed by Russian air defenses.

Ukraine's battlefield symbol in the war's early weeks

Three weeks after Russia launched its full-scale assault on Ukraine, one of the most prominent tools on the battlefield is neither a tank nor a fighter jet, but a mid-sized Turkish drone. Strike footage from the TB2 has flooded social media, showing Russian armored vehicles and logistics convoys destroyed by precision strikes from above. Within just a few weeks, the aircraft became one of the central visual symbols of Ukrainian resistance, even if it remains difficult at this stage to gauge its real weight in the overall balance of power against the Russian military.

The TB2, developed by Turkish defense company Baykar, is classified as a MALE (Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance) drone capable of carrying laser-guided munitions and staying airborne for hours over the battlefield. According to open-source tracking as of mid-March 2022, the aircraft have contributed to nearly 60 confirmed hits on Russian equipment.

• Tanks and armored vehicles: a significant share of documented strikes
• Supply and logistics trucks: a recurring target for precision strikes
• Surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems: several documented hits
• Time frame: from February 24 through mid-March 2022

Russian air defense is taking a toll too

Alongside this visual success story, a record of losses is also piling up. Oryx, a project that documents visually confirmed equipment losses from both sides of the conflict, has so far logged at least 26 Ukrainian TB2 drones lost to Russian air defense fire during the same period. That number raises a real question about the fleet's resilience against advanced air defense systems like those fielded by the Russian military.

The picture emerging from the data is a mixed one. On one hand, the TB2 has proven itself an effective strike weapon against poorly protected convoys and vehicles. On the other hand, this is a drone that isn't particularly stealthy and wasn't originally designed to operate against the advanced, layered air defense systems deployed across Ukraine's combat zones. The question now being asked by those analyzing the battlefield is how long the cost-benefit ratio will keep favoring Ukraine as the fighting drags on and the drone fleet needs replenishing.

• Cause: Russian air defense
• Number of Ukrainian TB2 drones lost per Oryx: at least 26
• Documentation method: visual confirmation (photos/video) only, no estimates

Where the drones came from and what they mean for a relatively small Ukrainian military

Ukraine purchased a fleet of TB2 drones from Turkey's Baykar even before the invasion, as part of security ties between Kyiv and Ankara that have grown closer in recent years. Now, with the outbreak of full-scale war, these aircraft form part of a relatively low-cost strike capability that lets the Ukrainian military hit deep into enemy-held territory without risking pilots or relying on an air force that is numerically outmatched by Russia's. For a military fighting for survival against a much larger, well-equipped force, every documented TB2 strike also becomes a powerful propaganda tool, showing the world that effective resistance is indeed happening on the ground.