Since the beginning of the special operation, Russian air defense systems have shot down about 90 Bayraktar attack drones. This was reported by RIA Novosti on May 25, citing an informed source.
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“Starting from February 24, about 90 Bayraktar attack drones made in Turkey were destroyed by air defense systems of the Russian Armed Forces,” the agency quoted its interlocutor as saying.
However, he clarified that this number does not include drones destroyed by cruise missiles on the ground.
According to the source, Bayraktars are an easy target for such Russian anti-aircraft missile systems as Tor-M2, Pantsir-S and Buk-M3 due to their relatively large size, low speed and extremely low maneuverability.
On top of that, due to the fact that these drones are equipped with a single-channel sighting and navigation system and can only be aimed at one target, on a second run they “go astray with a 100% probability.”
Bayraktar TB2 is a model of a Turkish attack unmanned aerial vehicle, which is widely used by Ukrainian troops.
At the same time, on May 23, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashenkov, reported that Russian air defense systems over the past day shot down three Su-25 aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the village of Kiselevka, Kherson region and over Pavlograd, Kharkiv region. 13 Ukrainian drones were also shot down.
Earlier on the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the destruction of a Ukrainian unit of American-made 155mm M-777 towed howitzers.
On May 18, Izvestia correspondent Kirill Olkov showed the destruction of APU facilities by the Russian Su-30 multipurpose fighter. The pilots operated at an altitude of several kilometers.
On February 24, Russia launched an operation to protect civilians in the Donbass. Moscow explained that the tasks of the special operation included demilitarization and denazification, the implementation of which is necessary to ensure the security of Russia. The decision was made against the backdrop of aggravation in the region as a result of shelling by the Ukrainian military. The authorities of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics announced the evacuation of residents to the Russian Federation, and on February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the independence of the DPR and LPR.