The Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle Bayraktar TB2 Vanagas ("Hawk" in Lithuanian), for which money was raised by Lithuanians, has already been sent to Ukraine.
This was announced by the Minister of Defense of Lithuania, Arvidas Anusauskas.
"The first drone leaves Lithuania. The Lithuanian Army took care of all logistics, and the Ministry of Defense took care of procurement contracts, organized all legal formalities in accordance with legal requirements, so that the drone with weapons could reach Ukraine," the minister said.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Petro Beshta also informed about the transfer of the UAV to Ukraine.
Lithuanian journalist and TV presenter Andryus Tapinas said that the money collected for the UAV, which the manufacturer Bayraktar refused to take, will be spent on ammunition for TB2, anti-drone guns, reconnaissance drones, as well as on aid to a Ukrainian hospital.
- At the beginning of June, Lithuanians collected almost €6 million to buy Bayraktar TB2 for Ukraine. Then the manufacturer of drones Baykar decided to give it to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for free.
- On June 24, volunteer Serhiy Prytula reported that in three days, Ukrainians collected 600 million hryvnias through donations to purchase four Bayraktar drones. After that, the Baykar company announced that it would give three Bayraktar TB2s to the Armed Forces of Ukraine free of charge.
- On June 28, a fundraiser for Bayraktar for Ukraine was launched in Poland.
- Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that since February 24, Ukraine has received up to 50 Bayraktar TB2 drones. In July, the Armed Forces also expect to receive several TB2s, and later dozens more.