Türkiye warns Russia, Ukraine after drone downed in its airspace

The Turkish Ministry of Defence has issued warnings to Russia and Ukraine following the interception of a drone in Turkish airspace that had entered from the Black Sea.

The ministry emphasized the importance of heightened caution regarding incidents that could compromise Black Sea security amid the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, TRT Haber reports.

“Our colleagues were advised to exercise greater prudence in relation to such adverse events,” the statement by the ministry said.

Turkish authorities further noted that search, rescue, and technical operations are underway in the area where the drone fell on Turkish territory. The device reportedly fragmented into small pieces upon impact, complicating efforts to recover larger debris or any intact components.

A drone that was detected to have gone out of control while approaching Turkish airspace over the Black Sea was shot down, Türkiye's National Defense Ministry said on December 15.

An aerial object approaching Turkish airspace over the Black Sea was detected and monitored under established procedures, the ministry said in a statement.

To ensure the security of national airspace, NATO-assigned and nationally controlled F-16 aircraft were assigned an alert response mission, it noted.

Following the assessment that the aerial object was a drone that had lost control, it "was shot down in a secure area outside residential zones in order to prevent any potential harm," the ministry added.

By Vafa Guliyeva