Ukraine shoots down own Bayraktar TB2 UAV over Kiev

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Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev for nearly 20 minutes on Thursday in light of fierce fighting between Russia and Ukraine's forces.

AFP reported that their journalists saw a drone the air defense forces were seeking to shoot down as the military administration said its air defense systems were "at work".

The explosions stopped after 20 minutes or so before the Kiev city military administration said the air raid alert was over.

"The enemy drone was shot down," said presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak. 

However, it was later reported on social media that the drone shot down by Kiev was one of its own.

Ukranians shot down own UAV Bayaktar pic.twitter.com/IOwsZolYER

— ZOKA (@200_zoka) May 4, 2023

The drone is believed to have been a Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2, which is operated by the Ukrainian armed forces and the sale of which to Kiev has been the cause of tensions between Moscow and Ankara.

⚡️#BREAKING Video shows air defence taking down drone in Kyiv pic.twitter.com/BZeoJEd69H

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) May 4, 2023

Some social media users later claimed that the drone was a Bayraktar TB2 operated by Russia, which would mean that Turkey is now supplying Moscow with UAVs in light of the Ukraine war, though this remains speculation.

later on, Kiev admitted to shooting down its own drone in a Defense Ministry statement.

"On May 4, at about 20:00 [05:00 pm GMT] in the Kiev region, during a planned flight, the Bayraktar TB2 UAV lost control. Since the uncontrolled presence of the drone in the sky of the capital could lead to undesirable consequences, it was decided to use the calculations of mobile fire groups. The target was destroyed," the air force said in a statement.

It was reported in early August that Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, said that a Baykar factory, the company that produces the TB2 drones, is being constructed in Ukraine.

A piece of land has already been purchased and developed by the company where Baykar sought to build the factory, as "it was almost a personal commitment of the company owners to make this production in Ukraine," said Bodran.

Before the introduction of the American HIMARS, the Bayraktar TB2 drones were without a doubt one of Ukraine's most prized weapons during the early stages of the conflict.

Kiev purchased the drones from the firm two years prior to the Ukraine war, but the heavy stream of UAVs continued throughout the war, with Ukrainian defense minister Oleksii Reznikov saying months ago that the nation has received 50 combat drones from Baykar since the outbreak of the Ukraine war.