Turkey has gifted a Bayraktar combat drone to Lithuania to be handed over to Ukraine, journalist and public figure Andrius Tapinas said on June 2.
“Turkey and the Baykar manufacturer have decided to gift to Lithuania a state-of-the-art Bayraktar TB2 combat drone with all optics and essentials,” Tapinas wrote on Facebook.
Last week, ordinary Lithuanians donated over 5 million euros in a fundraising campaign to purchase the Bayraktar drone for Ukraine, launched by Tapinas and his media channel Laisves TV.
“Turkey is impressed by the determination of Lithuanian people to help Ukraine, by the fact that the money was raised in such a way, and that the name of Bayraktar has been heard all over the world for several days,” Tapinas said.
In his words, Turkey has also promised to hand the drone over to Lithuanian as soon as possible.
“According to our representatives, our Bayraktar will be ready within three weeks, and the Lithuanian Air Force will fly to pick it up so that they can take a closer look and hand it over to Ukraine as soon as possible,” Tapinas said.
According to him, 1.5 million euros donated by Lithuanian people will be transferred to the Lithuanian Defence Ministry, which will be used to fully equip the drone.
The remaining 4.4 million euros should be earmarked for humanitarian, defence, logistical or reconstruction aid to Ukraine as per Turkey’s request, Tapinas said.
“Good initiatives do not go unnoticed. We traveled to Turkey to negotiate terms, production deadlines and handover procedures, but they provided us with the most pleasant surprise possible,” said Deputy Defence Minister Vilius Semeska, who traveled to Turkey this week.
“Turkey was impressed by our small country’s great initiative, and we are extremely grateful to Turkey. Now, both the combat drone and additional humanitarian aid will reach Ukraine,” he added. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
