In recent days, tensions between Turkey and Russia have reached unprecedented heights. According to the Greek Pentapostagma, Russia is entering a critical moment in the conflict with Ukraine, but Turkey has made an unexpected move behind the scenes. On the one hand, Turkish F-16 fighter jets took to the skies to monitor Ukrainian airspace in response to Russian drone attacks. On the other hand, Bajkar, the son-in-law of Turkey ** Erdogan, announced that a huge drone factory will be built in Ukraine. This decision not only shocked Russia, but also cast a shadow over relations between the two countries.
Regarding the details of this drone plant, according to the announcement of Erdogan's son-in-law Baykar at the World Defense Expo in Riyadh, the construction of the plant will be built with an investment of 95 million dollars and is scheduled to be completed within a year. This plant will be used for the production of Tb-2 and TB-3 Bayraktar UAVs, developed by Turkey. It is reported that the plant will be able to produce 120 drones per year, and production will not be affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Bayraktar UAV is a very successful attack drone in Turkey, which gained a lot of attention during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2020.
This decision caused the wrath of Vladimir Putin in Russia. Putin's visit to Turkey was planned, but was postponed because of Baykar's announcement. Putin's anger is also manifested in the comments of Russian parliamentarian Dmitry Belik, who openly stated that Russia has the right to retaliate against Turkey and considers the Turkish drone factory in Ukraine a legitimate target. Immediately, Russian officials also announced that they would build their own drone factories in Ukraine, in response to Turkey's move, indicating that the Russian army will never withdraw from Ukraine.
Ukraine, as a party to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, is actively seeking new strategic means to deal with the Russian army. Over the past few years, Ukraine has procured and produced UAVs in large quantities and widely used them in front-line operations. According to reports, in 2021 alone, Ukraine produced more than 300,000 drones of different types, and more than 100,000 were sent to the front line for use. Ukraine has used drones to carry out frequent attacks on targets in Russia, causing huge losses to Russia, especially oil facilities that have been repeatedly attacked by Ukrainian drones.
This massive use of drones as a strategic means has given Ukraine a certain advantage. As a flexible, concealed and precise attack tool, UAVs can effectively strike at the depth of the Russian army. Ukraine has succeeded in bringing the firepower and pressure of war to Russian territory through the high mobility and precision of drones. And this has become a reality that Russia has to face.
Russia responded strongly to the Ukrainian drone attack. According to Ukrainian experts, Russian forces have destroyed more than 100 Turkish-made Bayraktar drones since the beginning of the special military operation. Russia will never sit idly by and watch Turkey's actions to build a drone factory in Ukraine, but has launched a response to Ukrainian drone factories. It was officially announced that Russia will also build a drone factory in Ukraine, as a way to show the determination of the Russian army that it will never withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
This series of moves led to a rapid deterioration in relations between Turkey and Russia. Greece's Pentapostagma** commented that this was Russia's "slap in the face" to Turkey and once again proved Russia's resolute position on the Ukrainian issue. In addition, the United States has also approved the new F-16 fighter jet to Turkey at this critical moment, which shows that Turkey's position on the Ukraine issue has attracted widespread attention from the international community.
At a critical juncture in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Turkey's move has attracted the attention of the world. Turkey's decision to build a drone factory in Ukraine poses not only a direct threat to Russia, but also has a profound impact on relations between the two countries. Ukraine's massive use of drones as a strategic means has put enormous pressure on the Russian army. Russia, on the other hand, has shown itself to take a hard line by destroying Ukrainian drones and building its own drone factories in Ukraine.
My opinion is that drones, as an emerging tool of warfare, are playing an increasingly important role in modern warfare. It has a high degree of flexibility and accuracy, which can help one side in the war quickly obtain intelligence, strike at the enemy, and effectively reduce its own risk. Ukraine has achieved certain advantages using drones as the main tactical means. Russia, on the other hand, is trying to weaken Ukraine's drone combat capabilities by destroying Ukrainian drones and building its own drone factories in Ukraine.
However, this wrestling has not only exacerbated regional tensions, but also increased the scale and influence of the conflict. Against this backdrop, all parties should exercise caution to avoid further escalation of the conflict. At the same time, the international community should actively seek a peaceful solution, reduce tensions through diplomatic means, and strive to promote dialogue between Ukraine and Russia to achieve lasting peace.