Norwegian lawyer starts campaign to buy Bayraktar drone for Ukraine

By Nazli Yuzbasoglu

ANKARA (AA) – Seeking to help Ukrainians’ efforts to defend their country, a Norwegian lawyer started a campaign to buy Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones for Ukraine.

Bengt Erik Waldow said that the “Give the Ukrainian people a Bayraktar from Norway” campaign’s goal is to collect 55 million Norwegian krone ($5.5 million) “which is less than 10 krone per Norwegian, and Norwegians are very rich compared to other countries where this has been a success.”

He said that the money collected through digital fundraising will be sent directly to Ukraine’s Embassy in Oslo. He said all the fundraising would be above board, and that he is sparing no expense, including paying for posters himself.

- Inspired by campaigns in other countries

Waldow said that he was “inspired after seeing similar campaigns in Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland” to buy the Turkish-made drones, whose role in fighting the war has been acclaimed.

“I also heard on Twitter that the Swedes were going to start a similar campaign and if there is something that a Norwegian simply cannot accept it is being beaten by a Swede,” he added.

He said he asked his Twitter followers why there was no campaign in Norway for a Bayraktar since Norwegians support Ukraine “but instead of complaining that there wasn’t I thought I could launch one myself. And, so, I did.”

“I found the account number of the Ukrainian Embassy on their webpage and verified it and started the crowdfunding right away – it was done in less than 20 minutes,” he added.

He said he has not cooperated with any Norwegian or Ukrainian institutions but informed the embassy about the campaign.

“I have presumed that they will accept this gift from the Norwegian people as they have from the Lithuanian and Polish people,” said Waldow.

- Bullish on campaign

Waldow said that there is still a long way to reach their goal but he is certain it will be reached.

“I am 100% confident that we will reach our goal and perhaps even beat it. We are almost there that we will get some serious media attention in Norwegian media and that is the key to this. So far, I have only promoted the crowdfunding on my Twitter account and via posters in Oslo but as soon as we get the media on it this will explode,” he said.

“If the Swedes get going as well I am sure we will reach our goal and beat them,” he added.

“Our first goal is one Bayraktar but if the Swedes – and maybe also the Danes and Finns – get a similar crowdfunding going I think there will be a race to heaven,” he said.

Known for precision strikes, cost-efficiency and ability to dodge radars, the TB2 drones have been used in the battlegrounds of Syria, northern Iraq, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine, inflicting devastating damage on hostile ground units, artilleries, and air-defense systems.​​​​​​​