United to win: Lithuanians launch fundraising campaign to collect €300,000 for 500 kamikaze drones for Ukraine

A campaign to collect 300,000 euros for the purchase of 500 kamikaze drones for Ukraine was launched in Lithuania.

This was announced by the founder of the organization "Maži, bet stiprūs" and the organizer of the "Songs of Drones" collection, Raimundas Aleknavicius, in an interview with the Lithuanian publication Delfi.

What is the problem?

Ukrainians, of course, lose drones during combat. There are a variety of causes for this. The flight operator could make a mistake in gauging the wind direction, or the drone could stall over the target. So the battery ends up draining, and the drone ends up either in hostile or neutral territory when it's trying to get back. Also, another thing that results in that is the operator needing to know where the copter is when GPS isn't working. One can also lose the drone by losing connection with it. Moreover, a drone operator can also fly the drone toward enemy locations. The enemy can shoot it down with a standard gun or even an anti–drone weapon. Lastly, it could also just malfunction and get lost that way.

What is the solution?

The "Songs of Drones" support campaign for Ukraine started on July 19 and will continue until August 24, the Independence Day of Ukraine.

How does it work?

As part of the campaign, Lithuanians plan to collect 300,000 euros and use these funds to purchase 500 units of FPV-type TORO kamikaze drones developed by Ukrainian and Lithuanian drone experts.

"The war in Ukraine will go down in world military history as a war of ever-evolving drone technology. Along with combat Bayraktar, commercial DJI, and various fixed-wing drones, FPV-type kamikaze drones are now becoming increasingly important in the war between Ukraine and Russia," – said Aleknavicius.

For reference:

Lithuania, with a population of less than 2.8 million, has already provided Ukraine with military support for almost half a billion euros. A significant part of it is the military training of the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. So, in 2023, the country plans to train 1,600 Ukrainian soldiers.

Lithuania transferred to Ukraine drones, anti-drone equipment, surveillance radars, M113 armored personnel carriers, winter equipment, trucks, SUVs, and a Bayraktar TB2 drone with ammunition, for which the ordinary Lithuanians were raising money.

In January, the country also promised to transfer to Ukraine two Mi-8 helicopters along with L70 guns and 36 additional portable anti-aircraft missile systems that can counter enemy drones in February.

On July 18, another Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting was held in the Ramstein format, discussing preparing Ukrainian pilots for F-16 training and providing the Armed Forces of Ukraine with additional air defense systems, other weapons, and ammunition.

Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated that the regular meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format confirmed the unwavering support of Ukraine in the world.

Read also – "Train and equip": Lithuania forms demining coalition for Ukraine.