Ukraine defends itself against Russian aggression with cheap but deadly Turkish drones

Despite three weeks of Russian bombardment of Ukraine’s cities, Ukraine defends its cities using Turkish-made drones that attack invaders with deadly efficiency that has shocked Western military experts.

unmanned aerial vehicles Bayraktar TB2which can carry light, laser-guided bombs, typically excel in low-tech conflicts. Turkey has sold them to a dozen countries, such as Azerbaijan, Libya, Morocco and Ethiopia.

Drones have carried out unexpectedly effective strikes in the early stages of the Ukrainian conflict before the Russians could set up their battlefield defenses.he pointed Jack Watlingthe Royal United Services Institute based in London.

“(TB2)s shouldn’t have a significant impact because they are slow, medium-altitude aircraft with a large electromagnetic signature and a large radar cross-section. And the Russians have very effective air defense systems, so they should shoot them down. The terrain is very open and admits good radar coverage”Watling said.

the ukrainian forces “They have flown low and then come up and attack with them. That way they hit targets according to opportunity.”

Over time, as the Russians get organized and put up their air defenses, Watling said, “It diminishes the freedom to use those drones. And so now we see that the Ukrainians must be careful in how they use them.”

In a report to Parliament on March 9, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace praised the drones and other weapons donated to Ukraine by western countries.

“One of the ways to deliver air support or firepower to them is through the Turkish TB2 UAVs, which carry ammunition to their artillery and even to their supply lines, which are incredibly important in slowing down or stopping the Russian advance.”Wallace said.

Drones have also had an impact on social networks. His aerial video of the destruction of Russian armored vehicles has become a crucial tool in information warfare.

Vasyl Bodnarthe Ukrainian ambassador in Turkeyposted videos of drone strikes on Twitter. One of them seemed to show a column of destroyed Russian military vehicles. “Masallah”, “Praise be to God”he wrote in one of the videos.

A video with the song “Bayraktar” —with explosion noises to the beat of the music— has been published in Youtube and is repeated on Ukrainian radio.

“As long as they are flying, as long as they are armed, they will be useful. They will be useful above all as propaganda”, he pointed Aaron Steinthe Foreign Policy Research Institute. “The videos enthrall people because they can see an airstrike in high definition”.