The Bayraktar factory, which will produce Turkish combat drones in Ukraine, can become a legitimate target for the Russian Armed Forces if the special military operation continues by that time, Denis Fedutinov, a leading Russian expert in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, told Sputnik.
"If such a facility is established on Ukrainian soil amidst the ongoing special military operation, it could potentially become a target for Russian strike capabilities. Ensuring its security under such circumstances presents difficulties," Fedutinov noted.
The expert pointed out that Kiev is interested in forging military-technical cooperation with Ankara and, in the long term, Turkiye "expects support from Ukraine in terms of its aircraft engine production."
On the other hand, Ukraine aims to boost its capabilities in developing large-scale modern MALE-class drone systems, and is seeking assistance from Türkiye to achieve this goal, the agency's source explained.
In recent years, Turkiye has made considerable efforts to improve its military capabilities. This has been achieved through the development of its own Bayraktar TB2 drones, which have gained international recognition, as well as ushering in its new Bayraktar Akinci high-altitude, long-endurance drones. In addition, Turkiye has taken on a more assertive stance toward its regional rivals, further bolstering its position.
Back in August 2022, Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkiye Vasyl Bodnar said that the Baykar defense company would build the Bayraktar factory in Ukraine and has already bought a plot of land for this purpose. According to Bayraktar, the total area of the forthcoming Baykar center in Ukraine will be more than 30,000 square meters, employing more than 300 Ukrainian engineers and technicians.
Earlier, Moscow sent a note to NATO members touching on arms supplies to the Kiev regime. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any shipments containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. The Foreign Ministry said that NATO countries were "playing with fire" by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that flooding Ukraine with Western weapons did not contribute toward any success in Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and would only have a negative effect.