Ukrainian Navy Uses Baykar TB2 Drone to Hit Moving Russian Landing Craft with MAM-L Munition
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On June 24, 2025, Türkiye’s Baykar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) enabled the Ukrainian Navy to destroy a moving Russian landing craft in the Kherson region using a precision-guided MAM-L munition. The operation, shared by Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa, confirms the renewed deployment of Bayraktar drones after months of apparent inactivity. The drone’s successful strike underlines the ongoing strategic relevance of low-cost, high-impact unmanned systems in modern warfare. The footage and details were published by Ukraine’s Naval Forces.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The June 2025 strike in Kherson using a Baykar TB2 armed with a MAM-L munition serves as a sharp reminder of how mid-tier UCAVs continue to reshape modern conflicts (Picture source: Ukrainian Navy)
The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UCAV developed by Baykar, a private Turkish defense firm known for its rapid rise in the drone warfare sector. Designed for surveillance and strike operations, the TB2 features a fully autonomous flight control system, EO/IR camera suite, and real-time data transmission. It can carry up to 4 MAM-series precision-guided munitions, such as the MAM-L, which uses a semi-active laser seeker for pinpoint targeting. The TB2 is equipped with a 100 hp Rotax 912 engine, has an operational range exceeding 150 km, and can stay airborne for over 24 hours. This combination of endurance, accuracy, and affordability has made it a popular choice among nations seeking a robust unmanned aerial solution.
Originally developed in the early 2010s, the TB2 entered service with the Turkish Armed Forces in 2014. Its combat debut in Syria and Libya demonstrated its tactical value against armored vehicles and air defense systems. Ukraine began receiving the TB2s in 2019, and the drones quickly gained symbolic and operational prominence during the early months of the Russian invasion in 2022. As Russian electronic warfare tactics evolved, TB2 operations became less visible, but the June 2025 footage confirms their continued relevance, now under naval command roles and likely updated tactics. Baykar’s collaboration with Ukraine also includes local production plans and the development of next-generation UCAVs like the TB3 and Kızılelma.
The TB2’s most significant advantage lies in its cost-effectiveness and modular strike capability. Compared to larger platforms like the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, the TB2 is significantly cheaper, reportedly priced under $5 million per unit, while still delivering high-impact strikes with precision-guided munitions. Its MAM-L payload, developed by Roketsan, is optimized for UAV use, enabling low-collateral damage attacks on small naval or ground targets. The ability to destroy a moving Russian landing craft, possibly part of the Black Sea Fleet’s amphibious assets, illustrates a capability that not all current tactical drones can replicate. In contrast to loitering munitions or disposable drones, the TB2 offers persistent ISR and strike flexibility, increasing its operational value in joint operations.
The implications of this strike extend beyond the battlefield. Geopolitically, the use of a Turkish-made system by Ukraine against Russian naval assets reinforces the alignment of Ukrainian and NATO-oriented defense procurement strategies. Türkiye, while maintaining complex relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, has emerged as a major drone exporter, influencing regional balances of power. Militarily, the successful destruction of a moving target near Kherson using a TB2 demonstrates the vulnerability of Russian maritime logistics and the evolution of Ukrainian naval strike doctrine. This attack could potentially deter further amphibious operations by Russian forces along contested riverine and coastal zones.
The June 2025 strike in Kherson using a Baykar TB2 armed with a MAM-L munition serves as a sharp reminder of how mid-tier UCAVs continue to reshape modern conflicts. By demonstrating the ability to detect, track, and destroy a maneuvering naval target, the TB2 has once again validated the strategic choice made by Ukraine to incorporate affordable yet effective unmanned platforms into its joint strike capabilities. The reemergence of TB2s in Ukrainian operations signals not only tactical persistence but also the growing interdependence between defense innovation and shifting regional power dynamics.
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On June 24, 2025, Türkiye’s Baykar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) enabled the Ukrainian Navy to destroy a moving Russian landing craft in the Kherson region using a precision-guided MAM-L munition. The operation, shared by Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa, confirms the renewed deployment of Bayraktar drones after months of apparent inactivity. The drone’s successful strike underlines the ongoing strategic relevance of low-cost, high-impact unmanned systems in modern warfare. The footage and details were published by Ukraine’s Naval Forces.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The June 2025 strike in Kherson using a Baykar TB2 armed with a MAM-L munition serves as a sharp reminder of how mid-tier UCAVs continue to reshape modern conflicts (Picture source: Ukrainian Navy)
The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UCAV developed by Baykar, a private Turkish defense firm known for its rapid rise in the drone warfare sector. Designed for surveillance and strike operations, the TB2 features a fully autonomous flight control system, EO/IR camera suite, and real-time data transmission. It can carry up to 4 MAM-series precision-guided munitions, such as the MAM-L, which uses a semi-active laser seeker for pinpoint targeting. The TB2 is equipped with a 100 hp Rotax 912 engine, has an operational range exceeding 150 km, and can stay airborne for over 24 hours. This combination of endurance, accuracy, and affordability has made it a popular choice among nations seeking a robust unmanned aerial solution.
Originally developed in the early 2010s, the TB2 entered service with the Turkish Armed Forces in 2014. Its combat debut in Syria and Libya demonstrated its tactical value against armored vehicles and air defense systems. Ukraine began receiving the TB2s in 2019, and the drones quickly gained symbolic and operational prominence during the early months of the Russian invasion in 2022. As Russian electronic warfare tactics evolved, TB2 operations became less visible, but the June 2025 footage confirms their continued relevance, now under naval command roles and likely updated tactics. Baykar’s collaboration with Ukraine also includes local production plans and the development of next-generation UCAVs like the TB3 and Kızılelma.
The TB2’s most significant advantage lies in its cost-effectiveness and modular strike capability. Compared to larger platforms like the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, the TB2 is significantly cheaper, reportedly priced under $5 million per unit, while still delivering high-impact strikes with precision-guided munitions. Its MAM-L payload, developed by Roketsan, is optimized for UAV use, enabling low-collateral damage attacks on small naval or ground targets. The ability to destroy a moving Russian landing craft, possibly part of the Black Sea Fleet’s amphibious assets, illustrates a capability that not all current tactical drones can replicate. In contrast to loitering munitions or disposable drones, the TB2 offers persistent ISR and strike flexibility, increasing its operational value in joint operations.
The implications of this strike extend beyond the battlefield. Geopolitically, the use of a Turkish-made system by Ukraine against Russian naval assets reinforces the alignment of Ukrainian and NATO-oriented defense procurement strategies. Türkiye, while maintaining complex relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, has emerged as a major drone exporter, influencing regional balances of power. Militarily, the successful destruction of a moving target near Kherson using a TB2 demonstrates the vulnerability of Russian maritime logistics and the evolution of Ukrainian naval strike doctrine. This attack could potentially deter further amphibious operations by Russian forces along contested riverine and coastal zones.
The June 2025 strike in Kherson using a Baykar TB2 armed with a MAM-L munition serves as a sharp reminder of how mid-tier UCAVs continue to reshape modern conflicts. By demonstrating the ability to detect, track, and destroy a maneuvering naval target, the TB2 has once again validated the strategic choice made by Ukraine to incorporate affordable yet effective unmanned platforms into its joint strike capabilities. The reemergence of TB2s in Ukrainian operations signals not only tactical persistence but also the growing interdependence between defense innovation and shifting regional power dynamics.
