Lithuanian citizens raise €5M to buy Bayraktar TB2 for Ukraine
VILNIUS ($1= 0.93 Euros) — Lithuanians collect donations for the purchase of Bayraktar TB2 medium-altitude long-endurance [MALE] unmanned combat aerial vehicle [UCAV] for Ukraine. The goal is to raise 5M euros in three weeks.
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As part of a donation campaign initiated by Lithuanian journalist Andrius Tapinas, Lithuanian people are raising money to buy a Bayraktar TB2 MALE for Ukraine. Tapinas noted that the “green light” was received from the Lithuanian and Turkish Ministries of Defense for the donation campaign, and Baykar, the maker of Bayraktar TB2 MALE, said “yes” to the campaign.
Bayraktar TB2 MALE is actively used by the Ukrainian army against Russian forces on many fronts. The last Bayraktar TB2 hit Snake Island in front of Russian troops. “Ukrainian dagger at night. A murderer of the Russian army. Unmanned tactical aircraft carrying high-precision laser-guided bombs and long-range anti-tank missiles. In the war in Ukraine, the Turkish flagships destroyed Russian command posts, tanks, and missiles,” Tapinas wrote.
The number of donations collected so far reached 1.485 million euros. A donation of 1,150 euros per minute is made for the campaign. The € 1 million thresholds were exceeded in just 8 hours. Citizens who donated were also asked to spread the campaign using the hashtag #bayraktarasUkrainai.
Tapinas said of the campaign: “Perhaps for the first time in history, citizens of one country donate such heavy weapons to another.”
This fundraiser is not the first for the people of Lithuania. At the beginning of the war, 330,000 euros were raised by Lithuanian citizens in support of Ukraine, and with this money, Estonian drones were delivered to Ukraine. These drones used for artillery fire were called Magyla 1 and Magyla 2. The name Magyla is the name given to the goddess of death in Lithuanian mythology.
Bayraktar TB2 MALE
The Bayraktar TB2 reconnaissance drone, created by the Turkish Company Baykar Makina, is in service with the Turkish Army. It is a modification of the Bayraktar Block B and belongs to the class of tactical UAVs at medium altitudes with a long flight duration. The drone has more modern software and control systems than the Israeli Heron UAV. The crew consists of a commander, pilot, and payload operator.
UAV Bayraktar TB2 is equipped with an internal combustion engine Rotax 912 with a power of 100 hp. The maximum flight speed is 250 km / h, the cruising speed is 130 km / h, and the practical ceiling is 7300 m.
The device is equipped with a variety of cameras and surveillance systems, which allows it to be used for intelligence purposes. In addition, the Bayraktar TB2 is capable of carrying two anti-tank guided missiles and Roketsan MAM-L or laser-guided MAM-C sliding munitions. The MAM-L system was developed as a laser modification of the L-UMTAS long-range anti-tank missile system, which differs from the base version in that it has no rocket engine and is equipped with sliding wings.
The system is installed on the tactical UAVs Bayraktar and Karayel, which are currently in service with the Turkish army. The developer claims that the concept of creating and using the MAM-L system allows users to effectively neutralize targets that pose a direct threat, especially during surveillance and intelligence missions. Thanks to the precise aiming and small size, the use of the MAM-L system reduces the risk of insurance losses.
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 21 February 2022, the Russian government claimed that Ukrainian shelling had destroyed an FSB border facility on the Russia Ukraine border, and claimed that it had killed 5 Ukrainian soldiers who tried to cross into Russian territory. Ukraine denied being involved in both incidents and called them a false flag.
On the same day, the Russian government formally recognized the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR as independent states, according to Putin not only in their de-facto controlled areas, but the Ukrainian Oblasts as a whole, and Putin ordered Russian troops, including tanks, to enter the regions.
On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine by Russian Armed Forces previously concentrated along the border. The invasion followed by targeted airstrikes of military buildings in the country, as well as tanks entering via the Belarus border.
Russia has so far not recognized the invasion of Ukraine as a “war”, although that is exactly what it is, claiming that it is a “special military operation”. According to the UN, in which Russia has its permanent representation, for military action to be defined as a “special military operation”, it must have a resolution issued by the UN. There is no such resolution, which automatically defines the military actions of the Russians as an invasion and war against the citizens of Ukraine.
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