Lithuanian media channel Laisves TV has achieved its target goal of raising €5 million to buy a Bayraktar TB2 armed drone for the Ukrainian armed forces less than four days after announcing the fundraiser. Laisves TV, which announced the achievement on the evening May 28, 2022, had initially given itself three weeks to raise the funds.
The money will now be transferred to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense. Representatives from the ministry will travel to Turkey to meet their counterparts and drone maker Baykar Technologies and sign the firm order for one Bayraktar TB2 drone and some ammunition.
The aircraft will eventually be delivered to the Ukrainian armed forces currently fighting back the invasion of their country by Russia.
Ukraine began to order Bayraktars from Turkey in 2019. Around 20 drones have been delivered and put into use by both the Ukrainian Air Force and Navy. An additional batch of 16 was delivered in early March 2022.
The Bayraktar TB2 has a communication range of 300 kilometers (190 miles) as it relies on line-of-sight communication with its ground control station. Its 150-kilogram (330-pound) payload, divided onto four hardpoints, includes laser-guided missiles, bombs and rockets.
The Turkish-made drone proved decisive since the beginning of the conflict, destroying critical assets, such as armored vehicles, anti-aircraft systems, and even tanks. The drone was credited for helping to sink the Russian missile cruiser Moskva and bombing Russian anti-air defense systems on Snake Island.