Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar marked the occasion of Ukraine's 32 years of independence by donating a Bayraktar TB2 attack drone to Kyiv, Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR) said on Aug. 24.
The manufacturer has previously provided Ukraine Bayraktars for free after several fundraisers in Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine raised money to buy the drones for the Ukrainian army.
On July 31, Ukraine's Defense Ministry signed a contract with Baykar to build a service center for the repair and maintenance of combat drones in Ukraine.
The announcement came after Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the government has allocated Hr 40 billion ($1.08 billion) this year to invest in the drone industry.
"The creation of a service center will be a significant contribution to strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities and will help bring our victory closer," said State Secretary of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Kostiantyn Vashchenko.
The contract is part of the larger agreement on Turkey-Ukraine cooperation in the field of high technologies, aviation, and space industries, which entered into force on Jan. 23.
Days later, on Jan. 25, the HUR reported that the company donated two TB2 drones to Ukraine.
Martin Fornusek
