Turkey Links Crashed Drone to Russian-Made Orlan-10 Amid Ongoing Ukraine Conflict

Turkey identified a drone that crashed on Friday in a rural area of northwestern Turkey as being of Russian origin, following a series of events connected to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The unmanned aerial vehicle was found close to Izmit, approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the Black Sea, according to the private news agency DHA.

An Interior Ministry statement on X noted, «Initial assessments suggest that the drone is of the Russian-manufactured Orlan-10 variety, typically used for reconnaissance and surveillance.»

The ministry also mentioned that an investigation into the incident is underway, without providing further details.

Reports from Turkish media indicated that the drone sustained damage during the crash.

This event occurred after Turkey downed another drone on Monday that had «lost control» as it neared its airspace from across the Black Sea.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has cautioned against the possibility of the Black Sea turning into a «conflict zone» between Russia and Ukraine, especially following a series of attacks on vessels in the area in recent weeks.

Just last week, a Turkish ship was damaged by a Russian airstrike near the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, shortly after Erdoğan had a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit in Turkmenistan.