More UAV debris washes ashore on Black Sea coast

SAKARYA

Drone wreckage that washed ashore is seen on a beach in Sakarya.

Drone debris likely tied to the Russia-Ukraine war continues to wash ashore along Türkiye’s Black Sea coast, with recent discoveries reported in Sakarya, Istanbul and Düzce.

The latest find came on the coast of Kaynarca in Sakarya province, where residents alerted authorities after spotting a suspicious object on the beach. Gendarmerie and Coast Guard teams were dispatched to the area and coordinated with an Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit.

An examination determined that the object was a fuselage component belonging to a GERBERA-type unmanned aerial vehicle. Authorities found no explosives in the debris, which was removed from the site.

The discovery followed similar incidents in Istanbul and Düzce. An object believed to be a UAV was found on the Yeniköy coast in Istanbul’s Arnavutköy district and taken to the Coast Guard Command for detailed examination.

In Düzce’s Akçakoca district, another suspected UAV was discovered in a hazelnut orchard. The provincial governor’s office said a judicial investigation had been launched and examinations were continuing, while assuring the public that there was no cause for concern.

The successive discoveries have drawn attention to the possibility that UAV components from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict may be reaching Türkiye’s Black Sea coastline by sea, although no official statement has been made about the origin and circumstances surrounding the current debris.