Turkish fighter jets shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle that was moving uncontrollably from the direction of the Black Sea, according to the Turkish Ministry of National Defense. The ministry stated that, as part of standard airspace monitoring procedures, an unidentified aerial track approaching Turkish airspace over the Black Sea was detected and placed under observation.
To ensure airspace security, NATO- and nationally controlled F-16 fighter aircraft were scrambled, the statement said. Further assessment confirmed that the aerial track belonged to an unmanned aerial vehicle that had lost control. In order to prevent potential negative consequences, the UAV was neutralized in a designated safe area away from populated locations.
Turkish media report that the drone was shot down over land, and that its type and origin can only be determined after the wreckage is located and analyzed.
The incident occurred amid increased military activity in the Black Sea region. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly carried out strikes against Russian naval assets in the Black Sea using unmanned systems and missile weapons.
Earlier today, it was reported that Ukraine’s Security Service, in cooperation with the Navy, conducted the first recorded operational use of Ukrainian Sub Sea Baby underwater drones in an attack on a Russian Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class submarine. The submarine was located in the port of Novorossiysk at the time of the strike. According to available information, a powerful explosion caused critical damage to the vessel, effectively rendering it inoperable. The submarine was reportedly carrying four launch systems for Kalibr cruise missiles at the time of the incident.
Read also:
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Source: dailysabah
