The news was announced by journalist Sławomir Sierakowski, who started the crowdfunding effort, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Some 215,600 Poles, and around 1,000 Belarusians, chipped in to raise the necessary PLN 22.5 million (EUR 4.7 million) for the drone by last Sunday, according to Sierakowski, an editor at Krytyka Polityczna magazine.
On Thursday, Bayraktar’s Turkish maker, Baykar, sent a letter to the Polish journalist telling him that the drone would be donated to Ukraine for free.
Polish, Ukrainian and Turkish authorities have agreed to allocate the collected funds for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Sierakowski said.
He posted Baykar’s English-language letter on his Facebook page.
The Turkish manufacturer wrote: “We would like to express our gratitude to all the Polish people who supported such a meaningful campaign. We were impressed that hundreds of thousands of Polish citizens participated in the campaign you organised.”
Baykar’s board of directors added: “We want to participate in your humanitarian solidarity movement on our side with an offering. In light of your campaign, we will provide a Bayraktar TB2 to the people of Ukraine so that they can better protect their homeland.”
The Turkish company went on to state: “And we will oversee the allocation of your funds by Ukrainian charities to ends that ultimately strengthen Ukraine.
"Our aspiration is that our offering and this campaign will succeed in saving the lives of innocent Ukrainians in challenging times that we pray to soon end."
Bayraktar TB2
The 6.5-metre-long Bayraktar TB2 is an unmanned combat aerial vehicle that can be used for reconnaissance or bombing, among other uses, according to military experts.
Such drones have recently been crowdfunded for the Ukrainian army by Lithuanians and Ukrainians, the PAP news agency reported.
Thursday is day 155 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, wprost.pl