Ukraine places order for additional drones after acquiring 12 Turkish UAVs: Report

Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, latter has received 12 Turkish-me Bayraktar TB2 drones. Ukraine has furr placed an order for ditional 24 drones, ANI reported citing Turkish media. Reportedly, Turkey has been able to develop over 300 or more than 400 Bayraktar TB2 and Siha drones in Ukraine in past eight years.

As per a report by Haberler, Turkey has supplied 96 drones to international clients. potential buyers of se Turkish-me drones include United Kingdom, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovakia, Uruguay, Kazakhstan and Albania. Earlier in March, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran stated that y h not donated its Bayraktar drones to Ukraine as defence assistance. However, Yavuz Selim Kiran ded that drones were purchased by Ukraine from a private firm. In September last year, Ukrainian Defence Ministry and Turkish company signed an agreement on setting up a joint centre for drone maintenance and modernization near Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. It is pertinent to note here that ever since Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities have been calling on international community to provide military equipment as y continue to resist Russian forces. 

Zelenskyy speaks to Erdogan 

Earlier on 24 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a telephonic conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During his talks with Turkish leer, President Zelenskyy stressed requirement for immediate "evacuation of civilians from Mariupol, including Azovstal, and also an immediate exchange of blocked troops." Taking to his Twitter handle, Zelenskyy stated that he also discussed course of negotiation process and coordination with Turkey and or countries over security guarantees for Ukraine. Turkey even hosted delegations of Russia and Ukraine for negotiations in Istanbul.

Russia-Ukraine War 

It is pertinent to note that Russia initiated a full-fledged war against Ukraine nearly two days after Russian President Vlimir Putin signed a decree recognizing independence of regions Donetsk and Luhansk. On February 24, Russian President Vlimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in Ukraine and troops and tanks of Moscow stormed across Ukrainian border. Since n, hostilities between two warring nations have resulted in killing of people and destruction of infrastructure in Ukraine. In latest update, Ukrainian Defence Ministry has claimed that more than 25,000 Russian soldiers have lost ir lives since February 24. 

Inputs from ANI