Ukraine defends use of Turkish drone against separatists

KIEV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday brushed aside Western criticism of Kiev using a Turkish-made drone in its conflict with pro-Moscow rebels, saying his country was "defending its territory."

The Ukrainian army this week released footage of what it said was its first use of the Turkish-made TB2 Bayraktar drone against separatists in the east of the country, where it has been fighting a trench conflict since 2014.

France and Germany -- both mediators of the conflict -- criticised the move. "Ukraine is defending its territory and its sovereignty," Zelensky said in a statement published by his office.

"We do not attack, we only respond," he said. On Thursday, France said it was "concerned" by the use of the Bayraktar drone and by the "increasingly frequent use of heavy weaponry" that violate a ceasefire. A spokeswoman for Germany’s foreign ministry has also criticised the move, according to the Ukrinform news agency.