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Ukraine's defence imports from Turkey jumped 30-fold in Q1

April 6, 2022 at 4:21 pm

The Bayraktar TB2 drone is pictured on December 16, 2019 at Gecitkale Airport in Famagusta in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). [BIROL BEBEK/AFP via Getty Images]

Ukraine received almost 30 times as much defence industry equipment from Turkey in the first quarter as it did a year earlier, while it prepared for and fought against Russian invasion, official data showed, and Anadolu News Agency reports.

According to the report, Turkey exported $59.1 million of such products to Ukraine in the period, compared with $1.9 million in the first quarter of 2021, data published by the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly showed.

The Assembly, an industry association, did not specifically identify the equipment, the report added.

Last year, Ukraine bought more than 20 Bayraktar TB2 armed drones from Turkish company, Baykar, in recent years and ordered a further more.  That batch was delivered in early March.

Ankara and Kyiv have long-standing defence-cooperation ties.

As a member of the NATO military alliance, Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has good ties with both and has offered to mediate.

READ: Turkey to export drones ‘for 1st time’ to NATO, EU member