Turkish authorities investigate drone crash days after shooting down another UAV

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Authorities on Friday opened an investigation into an unmanned aerial vehicle that crashed in northwest Turkey, just days after the country shot down another drone that entered its airspace from the Black Sea.

Residents in Kocaeli province discovered the damaged UAV in a field, prompting an official investigation into the wreckage, NTV news channel and other reports said.

An initial assessment indicates the aircraft could be a Russian‑made Orlan‑10 reconnaissance drone, the Interior Ministry said in a statement, adding that an investigation was ongoing.

On Monday, Turkish F-16 fighter planes intercepted what officials described as an “out of control” drone after it violated the country’s airspace.

The defense ministry said that drone was destroyed in a safe location to protect civilians and air traffic. Turkey’s government subsequently warned both Russia and Ukraine to exercise greater caution over Black Sea security.

That shootdown came after a series of Ukrainian strikes on Russian “shadow fleet” of tankers off the Turkish coast, raising concerns in Turkey about the risk of the war in Ukraine spilling over into the region.

The defense ministry said the drone that was shot down on Monday likely broke into small fragments that scattered over a wide area, complicating efforts to identify it. Search and technical analysis efforts were still underway, it said.