A suspected Russian reconnaissance drone has been discovered in western Turkey for the third time in a single week, according to media reports citing monitoring sources. The unmanned aerial vehicle was found on Saturday, 20 December 2025, in a rural part of Balıkesir province, an area bordering the southern coastline of the Black Sea. No injuries or material damage were reported, as the drone came down in open farmland. The incident was reported by The WP Times, citing the monitoring group Clash Report.
According to the report, farmers in the Salur neighbourhood of the Manyas district alerted authorities after noticing an unfamiliar aircraft lying in a field. Units of the Turkish gendarmerie were dispatched to the scene, secured the area and restricted access while preliminary checks were carried out. The drone was later transported under guard to Ankara for a full technical and forensic examination.
Officials said the drone’s ownership and exact origin have not yet been confirmed. While a Russian origin is among the scenarios being considered by investigators, authorities stressed that no official attribution has been made. The aircraft is believed to be a reconnaissance platform and was not found to be carrying explosive material, reducing the immediate risk to civilians.
The latest discovery follows two earlier drone-related incidents reported in Turkey this week. On 15 December, the Turkish Ministry of Defence confirmed that an unidentified drone approaching Turkish airspace from the Black Sea had been intercepted after losing control. Turkish F-16 fighter jets destroyed the aircraft in a designated safe zone outside populated areas, a decision officials said was taken to prevent potential hazards.
On 19 December, another unmanned aerial vehicle was found crashed in a rural area near İzmit, in north-western Turkey. Preliminary assessments identified that drone as a Russian-made Orlan reconnaissance platform, commonly used for surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions and typically not equipped with weapons.
Turkish authorities have not publicly linked the three incidents or suggested that they form part of a coordinated operation. Security officials say investigations are continuing to determine whether the repeated discoveries are the result of technical malfunctions, navigation failures, weather-related disruption or increased reconnaissance activity in the wider Black Sea region.
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