Albanian PM: Turkish Bayraktar drones to be put into service very soon

The Turkish-made Bayraktar drones that Albania has agreed to purchase will be put into service very soon, the Albanian prime minister has said.

"These satellites will be followed very soon by (Bayraktar) drones. In line with new developments, we decided to complete them and buy armed drones,'' Edi Rama said at the signing of a satellite service contract between the Albanian National Civil Defense Agency and the firm Satellogic USA to monitor the country with advanced defence and security technology, according to yenisafak.com.

"Of course, armed drones are for extreme situations against terrorism or a potential enemy. However, these drones have a number of complementary functions in harmony with satellites," he added.

According to Rama, the agreement is worth $6 million.

The reputation and international demand for Türkiye's Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar Akinci have risen across Europe since the start this February of Russia's war on Ukraine.

This April, Serbia also reaffirmed its intention to purchase Türkiye's combat drones, which have been in high demand worldwide.

Countries including Ukraine, Qatar, and Azerbaijan have already purchased drones, with Poland last year becoming the first EU and NATO member state to acquire drones from Türkiye.

The Turkish combat drone Bayraktar TB2 is seen as pivotal in conflicts ranging from Karabakh to Ukraine. People in several countries started fundraising campaigns to buy more useful drones for Kyiv to help fight off Russia.