500 Lives, Bayraktar UAV, One Way Out of Russian Encirclement Ukrainian Army veteran Mykhailo Damaskin shared at SAHA 2026 the story of how Bayraktar TB2 UAV helped save around 500 soldiers and civilians from a Russian encirclement in Kherson during the early days of the full-scale invasion. Dropped by helicopter into Nova Kakhovka and later trapped at the Antonivskyi Bridge, his battalion's commander called in Bayraktar TB2 UCAV support. Damaskin recalled escaping at night under the watchful lights of the drone overhead: "We were ready to die; we knew what we were dying for. The most important thing was to save as many people as possible, and Bayraktar did a very good job for that." Now visiting Istanbul, he says: "I am here physically, but in my soul, I am there with my guys, with my people, with my free Ukraine." For him, the TB2 means "saved lives: children, women, the civilian population.I want to thank Bayraktar family very much. The Ukrainian people are very grateful to them and respect them.”