Turkey Warns Russia-Ukraine to Be Careful After Drone Incident Shot Down

JAKARTA - Turkey has warned Russia and Ukraine to be more careful regarding the security of the Black Sea after its air force shot down a drone that entered Turkish airspace.

F-16 fighter jets were deployed on Monday after an "uncontrolled" drone approached Turkish airspace from the Black Sea.

The drone was shot down in a safe area to protect civilians and air traffic, officials said.

The incident comes after Ukraine's recent attack on a Russian "ghost fleet" tanker off the coast of Turkey, as well as warnings from Turkish officials about the risk of a war in Ukraine spreading to the region.

"Due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, our colleagues have been warned that both sides need to be more careful regarding incidents that could negatively impact the security of the Black Sea," the Turkish Ministry of Defense said, as reported by the Associated Press, Thursday, December 18.

Turkish authorities have not revealed the origin of the drone.

The ministry said the object is likely to have broken into small fragments scattered over a large area, making it difficult to identify. Technical search and analysis efforts are still ongoing.

Ukraine said its naval drones attacked two tankers on November 28. A third ship was attacked on December 2 while heading to the Turkish port of Sinop.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the earlier attack as a threat to "the safety of navigation, life and the environment, especially in Turkey's exclusive zone.