Turkey has delivered additional Bayraktar TB2 strike drones to Kiev, Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov claimed on Wednesday in an emotional Facebook post. The Turkish government did not immediately comment on the statement.
“New Bayraktars have already been delivered and deployed for combat. There will be more Stingers and Javelins,” the minister said, referring to Turkish-made Baykar Bayraktar TB2 drones and US-made man-portable anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapon systems. He said the provision of foreign military aid to Kiev was being ramped up.
“Europe is becoming our rear and provides what we need critically for defense. We are at the forefront of the free world,” he added.
Individual European Union member states, as well as the UK and US, have promised shipments of military assistance to Ukraine in recent days, with the EU announcing a €450 million package of “lethal aid.”
Reznikov’s post was mostly devoted to raising the morale of Ukrainians and denouncing Russia for its attack against his country. He called Ukraine’s neighbor a “terrorist state” and claimed that, during a phone call with Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense had praised the fighting spirit and professionalism of Ukrainian troops.