Russia warns opening Bayraktar plant in Ukraine will 'prolong suffering of Ukrainians'

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that if the manufacturing plant of Turkish combat drones Bayraktar opens in Ukraine, it will be treated as a military target. Peskov said that the opening of a manufacturing plant for Turkish combat drones will prolong the suffering of Ukrainians and will not help in avoiding the purpose of Russia's "special military operation", TASS reported. The statement of the Kremlin spokesperson comes after the Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasily Bondar stated that Turkish company Baykar Makina has bought land in Ukraine to set up the plant for the production of Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles. 

Vasily Bondar stated that Baykar's owner has already set up a company in Ukraine and has started working on a project for the plant. Bondar claimed that the company has already developed a project for the plant and intends to implement it by the year-end, TASS reported, citing the RBC Ukraine agency. Bondar emphasised that the production of Bayraktar drones at the plant in Ukraine will involve Ukrainian components.

According to Bondar, the majority of the models that will be produced at the plant will be made with Ukraine-made components, including engines, other spare parts, wheels, and "lots of other high-technology things we have and which can be used for these aircraft." Earlier on July 19, the Ukrainian government approved a bill on ratification of a deal with Turkey on cooperation in areas of high technologies, aviation and space. 

Notably, Turkey has been manufacturing combat drones for its armed forces and exports in recent years. Presently, six nations operate Bayraktar TB2 combat drones including Azerbaijan, Qatar, Morocco, Ukraine, Libya and Poland, as per the TASS report. Turkey's Bayraktar drones have played an important part in Ukraine's fight against Russian forces at the beginning of the Russian invasion. Vasily Bondar has called Turkey's drones "already a legend" for Ukraine's resistance against Russian troops, Newsweek reported, citing Middle East Eye. Ukrainian armed forces had more than 20 Baykar-produced drones prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Earlier in June, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that Ukraine had received 50 armed drones from Baykar since the war started with Russia on February 24. Meanwhile, Canada and Lithuania started fundraising to purchase Turkish Bayraktar drones for Ukrainian armed forces amid the war. 

(Image: AP)