Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be testing the patience of his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, after yet another Russian-made drone crashed on Turkish territory.
An unidentified UAV went down in an empty field in the Manyas district of Balıkesir, Turkey. The drone has since been transported to Ankara for technical analysis, while authorities investigate its Russian origin, potentially including the Orlan-10 model.
This incident follows a similar crash in İzmit just one day earlier, with Turkish media reporting that Russian-produced drones have fallen in Turkey on consecutive days.
Subsequent assessments identified the aircraft as a Merlin-VR Russian reconnaissance drone, an advanced ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) platform known for its long range and low noise signature.
The Merlin-VR is capable of operating at distances of up to 600 kilometers with an endurance of approximately 10 hours, making it an effective tool for long-range intelligence gathering.
Launched via catapult and recovered using a parachute, the drone is designed for flexible operations in challenging terrain. It is equipped with electro-optical sensors (EO) capable of carrying up to 7 kilograms of payload, enabling high-precision surveillance and data collection.
Since 2022, the Merlin-VR has suffered significant losses due to Ukrainian air defense systems and FPV interceptors, highlighting its vulnerabilities in contested airspace.
Each Merlin-VR drone is estimated to be worth around $300,000, making its loss a notable financial and operational setback.
