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What did Ukraine's first Bayraktar strike change?
Summary
A look back at the 26 October 2021 drone strike in Donbas and the fighting around Hranitne.
What did Ukraine's first confirmed use of an armed drone in Donbas amount to? On 26 October 2021, Ukraine confirmed that it had carried out its first strikes with the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2, destroying a pro-Russian separatist D-30 howitzer.
The announcement placed an unmanned combat aerial vehicle in the war in Donbas. Such systems are remotely piloted or operate with varying degrees of autonomy, and Ukraine was among the countries identified as operating combat drones as of 2019.
A costly day on the ground
The same day showed that artillery remained a daily danger for Ukrainian troops. Rebel artillery fire near Hranitne in Donetsk Oblast killed one Ukrainian soldier and wounded another.
The howitzer destroyed by the drone belonged to the type of weapon that fire of this kind relies on. Beyond that, no link between the strike and the casualties near Hranitne was stated at the time, and none should be assumed.
What 26 October 2021 marked
The confirmed strike was a first for Ukraine's forces: a Turkish-made armed drone used against a separatist artillery piece. The soldier's death near Hranitne showed that the conflict continued at the same time.
