Turkey has supplied Ukraine with new weapons to counter Russian drones
Throughout 2026, Turkey transferred a small number of Korkut anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine, designed to destroy drones and other aerial targets. The Ukrainian military is already using these systems to repel Russian attacks.
According to the publication’s sources, the Korkut delivery took place this year. The exact number of systems received by Ukraine has not been disclosed.
Korkut is a Turkish-made anti-aircraft artillery system designed for air defense. Typically, the system consists of three combat vehicles and one command vehicle.
The system uses anti-aircraft guns to destroy aerial targets, including drones and cruise missiles. Korkut employs programmable munitions to engage targets.
A Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Middle East Eye that the Turkish systems have already demonstrated their effectiveness during Russian attacks.
“Korkut has been quite successful in repelling Russian attacks. Of course, there have been some issues, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with minor adjustments,” the source told the publication.
Middle East Eye notes that the Ukrainian military has become an important partner for a number of Turkish defense companies. Manufacturers are collaborating with the Armed Forces to test weapons in real-world combat conditions and use the experience gained to further improve their systems.
Ukrainian officials, for their part, view such proposals positively and are ready to test new defense developments.
The need for such systems remains particularly urgent amid regular Russian attacks involving large numbers of attack drones. The use of anti-aircraft artillery allows for the destruction of such targets without resorting to significantly more expensive anti-aircraft missiles.
Following the initial results of using the Korkut, Ukraine has expressed interest in expanding its fleet of these systems. At the same time, according to a Ukrainian official, price will be one of the key factors in deciding on new purchases.
This was reported by Middle East Eye.
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