Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Turkish company Baykar, has confirmed that a factory for the production of Bayraktar drones is already under construction near Kyiv, in accordance with the two states’ agreement.
European Pravda, citing Bayraktar’s interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the World Defense Show in Riyadh
According to Bayraktar, the plant for producing Turkish drones in Ukraine is already under construction, with a completion time of “about 12 months,” after which the company plans to begin installing equipment and facilities.
“The factory in Ukraine is a big one, we are planning to employ around 500 people,” he said.
The CEO of Baykar stated that the plant will produce approximately 120 drones per year, but the specific model, TB2 or TB3, has not yet been determined.
When asked if Baykar’s plans were jeopardised by a full-scale war in Ukraine, Haluk Bayraktar said they were “fully moving ahead” and “nothing” could hamper them on the way.
Baykar, a Turkish company, was granted licences to produce Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı in Ukraine starting in June 2023. The following month, construction on the plant began.
Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s former Minister of Defence, previously stated that the drones produced at the Ukrainian plant would be powered by Ukrainian engines. Ukrainians are also to establish a training centre to train Bayraktar management specialists in various categories.
Baykar established Avia Ventures LLC in Ukraine in 2019, with the goal of opening two plants there.
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