Zelensky says Turkish drone maker to build Ukraine factory

Turkish defence firm Baykar's TB2 drone has been hugely popular in Ukraine, where it helped destroy many Russian artillery systems and armoured vehicles

Bayraktar TB2 drone stands near the logo of Baykar Turkish defence company inside a hall of 30th international Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, Poland Sept 5, 2022. REUTERS

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday met with the head of Turkish defence firm Baykar and said the company would set up a factory in Ukraine to build unmanned aerial vehicles.

Baykar's Bayraktar TB2 drone has been hugely popular in Ukraine, where it helped destroy many Russian artillery systems and armoured vehicles.

"We discussed the details of the construction of the Baykar factory in Ukraine and the production of new goods using Ukrainian components," Zelensky said in an online post after meeting Baykar Chief Executive Haluk Bayraktar in Kyiv.

A video posted online showed Zelensky giving Bayraktar the Ukrainian Order of Merit. In return, Zelensky received a traditional embroidered Ukrainian shirt featuring a drone.