Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country and Turkey have signed an agreement that will significantly expand the production of Turkish "Bayraktar" combat drones in Ukraine.
After his meeting on Thursday in Kiev with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelensky stressed that he was confident that their talks would lead to a practical result that would enhance the security of the two countries and energy security.
He pointed out that during the meeting with Erdogan, special attention was paid to cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey in the aerospace and defense industries, and that this is a priority in the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Ukrainian Defense Minister and CEO of Turkey's Baykar sign a memorandum of understanding on drones (Reuters)
Turkish rallies in Ukraine
Al-Jazeera correspondent in Ukraine reported that since the introduction of Turkish drones to serve the Ukrainian armed forces, a branch for the production of its engine has been opened in Ukraine.
Turkish drones are used in reconnaissance flights along the front line in the Donbas region, which has been witnessing since 2014, a conflict between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists.
Moscow had previously said that the use of the Turkish drone by Ukrainian forces in combat operations in the Donbass region would negatively affect the situation in the region.
Last September, Ukrainian Defense Minister Andrey Taran and CEO of the Turkish "Baykar" Defense and Aviation Company, Khaluk Bayraktar, signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a center for maintenance and training of unmanned aircraft in Ukraine.