Lithuania is considering buying Turkey-made Bayraktar combat drones, Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas has said.
“The acquisition of combat drones is in the plans, possibly a Bayraktar, too,” Anusauskas told reporters on May 31. “I don’t want to elaborate on all those plans right now.”
According to the minister, Lithuania regularly updates its military acquisition plans “in line with the lessons of the Ukrainian war”.
“What previously seemed unconvincing or inappropriate for our conditions is changing, and attitudes are changing,” he said.
In a fundraising campaign launched by Laisves TV, an Internet broadcaster headed by Andrius Tapinas, Lithuanians have donated 5 million euros in just three and a half days to purchase a Bayraktar drone for Ukraine.
Lithuanian Deputy Defence Minister Vilius Semeska left for Turkey on May 31 to negotiate the purchase of the drone. If a deal is reached, the weapon will be delivered to Lithuania and then handed over to Kyiv.
The Defence Ministry has previously announced plans to purchase US-made Switchblade combat drones. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
