Hundreds of Lithuanians have campaigned to buy advanced military drones for Ukraine to use in the war against Russia, in a gesture designed to show solidarity with another country formerly under Moscow's rule.
The Lisvis online television station, which launched the campaign, stated that the target amount of five million euros ($4.7 million) was collected in just three and a half days for the purchase of the Turkish-made Bayraktar TBU plane, largely through small sums.
"Before this war began, none of us thought we would buy weapons. But it is normal now. Something must be done for the world to improve," said Agni Blekaite, 32, who sent 100 euros as soon as the donation campaign began on Wednesday.
"I've been donating to buy weapons for Ukraine for a while. I will do it until victory," she told Reuters. She added that she was motivated to some extent by her fear that Russia would attack Lithuania as well.
The drones have proven their effectiveness in recent years in the conflicts in Syria and Libya, and the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense is coordinating the purchase of the drone, and told Reuters that it intends to sign a letter of intent to buy it from Turkey this week.
Ukraine has purchased more than 20 Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkey's Baykar company in recent years, and ordered another 16 on Jan. 27. This batch was delivered in early March.
"This is the first time in history that ordinary citizens have raised money to buy something like Bayraktar. It is unprecedented and unbelievable," Ukraine's ambassador to Lithuania Peshta Petro told Lesvice channel.
Most of the heavy weapons that NATO members have sent to Ukraine so far are Soviet-era weapons in the stores of eastern European members of the alliance, but some countries have recently begun supplying Ukraine with howitzers made in the West.
"While the governments of the world's major countries continue to consult endlessly... the Lithuanian people are simply gathering together to raise the five million euros for the purchase of the drone, which is a moving message to the world," Blekaite said.
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- Agencies