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‘Hardly anything to rejoice about’: Moscow dismayed over Turkish drones in Donbass

Turkish exports to various countries are "a serious issue," Russia's deputy foreign minister said
Bayraktar combat drone DHA via AP, archive
Bayraktar combat drone
© DHA via AP, archive

MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/. The emergence of Turkish drones in Donbass in eastern Ukraine isn’t giving Moscow anything to be enthusiastic about, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday.

"Obviously, there can hardly be anything to rejoice about given that Turkish drones, as the story goes, are surfacing somewhere in Donbass," the senior Russian diplomat said.

Turkish exports to various countries are "a serious issue," he pointed out. "They buy something from us and ship their products elsewhere. Corresponding arrangements exist, including export controls where all these things are discussed. Through bilateral channels, we are also looking at an entire range of such episodes and will continue doing so," the high-ranking diplomat pledged.

At the same time, Russia and Turkey have "normal and versatile relations" and discuss all the bilateral issues "in a working procedure," he pointed out.

Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Committee for National Security, Defense and Intelligence Yuri Mysyagin stated on April 3 that a Turkish-made Bayraktar combat drone in service with the Ukrainian army made its first flight to the zone of Kiev’s military operation in Donbass.