Türkiye urges Ukraine and Russia to exercise caution after its air force downed drone

Türkiye has warned Russia and Ukraine to exercise greater caution over security in the Black Sea after its air force shot down a drone that violated Turkish airspace.

Türkiye's Ministry of National Defence said in a statement that an unidentified UAV that violated Turkish airspace on 15 December had lost control, prompting Türkiye to scramble F-16 fighter jets.

"The UAV, which was determined to have gone out of control, was tracked by our F-16 aircraft and, after the completion of procedures, was shot down by a controlled strike in the most appropriate location," the statement reads.

The ministry added that Türkiye has a reliable air defence system and that claims to the contrary "do not correspond to reality".

"In addition, in view of the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, our partners were warned of the need for both sides to be more careful about such negative factors that threaten security in the Black Sea," the ministry said.

On 15 December, it was reported that Turkish fighter jets shot down an "out-of-control" drone flying from the Black Sea. Türkiye did not disclose which country the drone belonged to.

On 4 December, the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned representatives of the Ukrainian and Russian embassies to convey its concerns over a series of attacks on vessels belonging to Russia's shadow fleet in the Black Sea.