The Turkish company Baykar communicated through its social networks that it will give three Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to the Ucanian Armed Forces, which were to be acquired by a foundation through private donations.
The Ukrainian charity foundation Serhiy Prytula was conducting an international crowdfunding campaign to raise money to buy three Bayraktar TB2 combat drones, which have been performing so well in the war.
And in just three days after the collection began, they raised $20 million, enough to buy four of the needed drones.
We did it!!!! ???????? Ukrainians crowdfunded for 4 Bayraktars in under 3 days!
20 mln $ / 600 mln UAH
Our nation is simply amazing! When united, we can do impossible things! Thank you everyone!! pic.twitter.com/bj2gX3Qrx9
— Serhiy Prytula (@serhiyprytula) June 24, 2022
However, the Turkish company that manufactures the model decided to deliver three Bayraktar TB2s to Ukraine free of charge and requested that the money that was to be used for their purchase to be redirected to fund humanitarian aid instead.
Donations as an alternative method of sustaining the war effort
This is not the first time such a situation has arisen, in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
See also: Lithuanian solidarity: 5 million euros raised to buy a Bayraktar drone for Ukraine
At the end of last month we reported how Lithuania also took up a collection, and in three days had raised the five million euros needed for the purchase of a Bayraktar TB2. And that time too, Baykar decided not to accept the money and give the drone to Ukraine.
The people of Lithuania have honorably raised funds to buy a Bayraktar TB2 for Ukraine.
Upon learning this, Baykar will gift a Bayraktar TB2 to Lithuania free of charge and asks those funds go to Ukraine for humanitarian aid.
????????????????????????@a_anusauskas@VSemeska@Lithuanian_MoD pic.twitter.com/3PjIyZiME5
— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) June 2, 2022
The Ukrainian war effort, from a material perspective, is eminently sustained by the sales and donations of arms and ammunition of all kinds by the Western bloc countries, members of NATO.
But initiatives such as collections and donations are also having a growing impact on the aid Ukraine receives from abroad.
See also: #Buymeafighterjet, Ukrainian pilots ask the world’s millionaires for help
Kiev is resorting to all imaginable means to be able to continue sustaining its defense, in a war that is already shaping up to be of long duration and of attrition, and the massiveness of social networks and electronic payment methods allow assistance to come also from individuals, from any part of the globe.
