ANKARA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- A drone believed to be of Russian origin crashed in a rural area of northwestern Türkiye on Friday, Turkish authorities said.
"An unmanned aerial vehicle, initially assessed to be an Orlan-10 type of Russian origin used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes, was found within the boundaries of Cubuklubala district in the Kocaeli province today," the Turkish Interior Ministry said in a statement posted on X, adding that the incident is being investigated.
Türkiye said on Monday that it shot down an unidentified drone approaching its airspace over the Black Sea.
In recent months, Turkish-flagged and Turkish-operated commercial vessels have been targeted in the Black Sea by missile and drone attacks linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including strikes on ships anchored or operating near Ukrainian ports.
Ankara has condemned such attacks and called for the protection of maritime trade and freedom of navigation in the region. ■