Citizens in Poland are collecting money for the purchase of a drone to be given to Ukraine, following the example of a similar drive by their neighbours in Lithuania.
So far, around €1.3 million ($1.36 million) have been collected, the fundraisers announced on Tuesday. This is a quarter of the purchase price of a drone, which each cost just under €5 million. The crowdfunding campaign will run until the end of July.
Solidarity with Ukraine is very strong in Poland. According to government figures, the EU country has taken in more than 2 million Ukrainian refugees.
At the beginning of June, Lithuania's population - of just 2.8 million - raised enough money to buy a Bayraktar drone in just a few days. Enthused by the campaign, the Turkish manufacturer Baykar even gave Lithuania the combat drone free of charge so that the money raised could be used for other purposes.
Ukraine is already using Bayraktar drones in the fight against Russian aggressors. Turkey sold several combat drones of the same type to Ukraine before the war, of which 12 are said to have been delivered so far. There is no information on deliveries during the war.
