Back-to-back drone crashes in Turkey's Black Sea region
Two fixed-wing drones crashed in separate incidents along Turkey's Black Sea coast over two days. Authorities are investigating the incidents.
These crashes follow previous similar incidents in the region, including a June crash in Bartın province and a combat drone shot down by Turkish F-16s over Ankara in December, likely linked to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war where drones are heavily utilized.
Two drone crashes occurred in two separate provinces along the Black Sea coast of Turkey over the past two days.
The first incident took place yesterday around 7.30 am local time in the northern province of Kastamonu. A fixed-wing drone crashed into a hazelnut orchard in the Kuşkayası village of the Cide district.
The drone crashed with a loud noise and caught fire immediately after the impact, the Kastamonu Gündem newspaper reported citing locals. Parts of the drone were scattered around the yard of a residential house where it fell.
Gendarmerie teams inspected the fixed-wing drone after the orchard owner, Musa Zilan, reported the incident. Authorities are investigating to determine the origin of the weighed about 200 kilos.
"We had a narrow escape," Zilan said. "If the drone had come 10 meters further, our house would have been gone."
In the northeastern province of Samsun, citizens reported finding an engine on the ground in the Alaçam district this morning. Gendarmerie teams were dispatched to the area following the notification.
A fixed-wing drone similar to the one in the first incident was found hanging on a tree.
Previous incidents
Drones, which are heavily used by the parties in the Russia-Ukraine war, have previously crashed on Turkish territory. The most recent incident occurred on Jun 15 in Bartın, another Black Sea province, where a shattered drone was found on the coast.
Additionally, a combat drone entered Turkey over the Black Sea in December and was shot down by Turkish F-16s within the provincial borders of Ankara. This was followed by an another incident where a drone crashed in Kocaeli a few days later.
Turkey warns Russia, Ukraine over Black Sea drone incident
(VK)
