Drone found on Black Sea coast likely Russian, officials say

ANKARA

A drone discovered earlier this week along Türkiye’s Black Sea coast is believed to be Russian, Defense Ministry officials said on Feb. 12, adding that the device did not contain explosives and has been transferred to police for further examination.

According to remarks during the ministry's weekly briefing, the drone was found on Feb. 10 along the coast in Ordu's Ünye district. A team from the Underwater Defense Group Command was dispatched to the area after the discovery.

Officials said the drone, “which did not contain explosives and is believed to be Russian,” was handed over to the Ünye police for technical analysis.

The discovery follows a series of drone-related incidents in Turkish airspace late last year. In December 2025, three drones crashed or were downed within five days.

On Dec. 15, the Defense Ministry said F-16 fighter jets shot down a stray drone approaching Turkish airspace from the Black Sea. Four days later, the Interior Ministry announced that another drone had been shot down in the northwestern city of Kocaeli and could be Russian. On Dec. 20, a third drone crashed in nearby Balıkesir and was sent to Ankara for examination after being secured by authorities.

Defense officials previously said both Russia and Ukraine had been warned following the incidents.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also cautioned against the Black Sea becoming a zone of confrontation, amid recent strikes affecting shipping in the region, including damage to a Turkish-operated vessel in Ukraine’s Odesa area in December.