A Turkish-funded collectively funded Bayraktar TB2 combat drone is seen during a presentation at the Lithuanian Air Force base in Siauliai, Lithuania, on 6 July. (Petras Malukas / AFP / Getty Images)
A Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone, insured by Lithuania for Ukraine after a local crowdfunding campaign, is expected to be sent to Kyiv in the next few hours.
The “Vanagas” (meaning “Falcon” in Lithuanian), along with ammunition, arrived in the Baltic country on Monday, the country’s Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas tweeted. After a press briefing on Wednesday, Anušauskas added that the drone would soon be moved to Ukraine.
Last hours of Bayraktar “Vanagas” in Lithuania. Very soon it will be delivered to Ukraine, “he tweeted.
The crowdfunding campaign was launched by Lithuanian online station Laisves TV last month and was able to raise about 6 million euros ($ 6.11 million) to buy the drone.
The purchase was arranged by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, but says that after learning that it was being purchased through a crowdfunding campaign, the manufacturer donated the drone for free.
“The citizens of Lithuania raised funds for this plane, but inspired by the idea, the Turkish company ‘Baykar’, the manufacturer of ‘Bayraktar’, decided to donate it,” the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said in a communiqué. “1.5 million euros of the 5.9 million donated were used to arm the drone.”
It is not the first time Baykar has donated some of his drones to the Ukrainian armed forces. Last month, after a crowdfunding campaign in Ukraine raised enough funds to buy three of the drones, the company said it would give them away for free.
“We ask that the funds raised be sent to the struggling people of Ukraine,” he said in a statement on June 27.
The Bayraktar TB2 drone has played a key role in Ukraine’s defense against Russia. The country had about 20 of the unmanned aerial vehicles before the start of the war on February 24, but Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on June 28 that his office had been able to secure until 50 drones since the invasion began.
“In the near future, almost all of the capacity of the Baykar Makina plant will be focused on meeting the needs of the Armed Forces. It is about asking for dozens more drones,” Reznikov added.