Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense (MoND) has issued a statement regarding a drone that was shot down in Turkish airspace, confirming that Russia and Ukraine were warned following the incident.
Political tension continues after two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that entered Turkish airspace over the Black Sea were brought down.
The Ministry stated that a UAV which entered Turkish airspace from the Black Sea direction and was shot down over the skies of Ankara on December 15 had prompted official warnings to both Russia and Ukraine.
“As a result of assessments carried out to ensure airspace security and to protect the safety of our citizens’ lives and property, the drone—believed to have been out of control—was tracked by our F-16 aircraft and, after the completion of procedures, was neutralized through a controlled intervention at the most appropriate location,” the statement said.
“Due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, our counterparts have been warned that both sides must exercise greater caution regarding such incidents related to Black Sea security.”
No information was provided on which country the drone belonged to or whether it was carrying any payload.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, the destroyed drone broke into very small pieces and was scattered over a wide area, making debris recovery difficult. Nevertheless, search, scanning, and technical investigation activities are being conducted carefully by the relevant units.
A second drone was shot down on Saturday and found in an empty field near the city of Balıkesir, about three hours southwest of Istanbul. Local authorities suspect it to be of Russian origin.
This marks the third such incident since Monday.
