A drone, which is believed to be carrying ammunition, was found on the Black Sea coast of Istanbul, Turkish media reported, News.bg reports.
The drone was found on Friday on Karaburun beach in the Arnavutköy district. Local fishermen noticed the unusual object in the morning and alerted rescuers, who, after determining that it was a drone, notified the Turkish Coast Guard.
Coast Guard teams have been sent to the scene. After an initial assessment that the drone may contain explosives, commandos from the specialized SAS underwater defense unit of the Turkish Navy also arrived.
Initial analysis of photos shows that the device resembles the Ukrainian long-range attack drone FP-1. However, its origin has not yet been officially confirmed and specialists are conducting a technical examination.
Due to concerns that there may be an explosive device on board, authorities have decided to destroy the drone in a controlled manner at the location where it was found.
Aerial footage shows a relatively large body and a wide wingspan. The head of the beach rescue team, Muhamet Can Çoban, said the find surprised his team.
According to him, the device is significantly different from other similar objects found along the coast in recent days.
This is the latest case of a military drone on the Turkish Black Sea coast. On August 15, a Russian drone, the Geran-2, was found on the coast in the same Arnavutköy district. A few days later, another drone crashed in the area of a police station in Arsin, Trabzon province. There were no injuries in the incident, but several police cars were damaged.
Turkish authorities are investigating where the drone found in Istanbul came from, how it reached Karaburun beach, and whether it was carrying ammunition or other dangerous systems.
Such incidents are not unprecedented for Turkey since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. In December 2025, within a few days, Turkish authorities recorded several cases of drones reaching Turkish territory. Among them was a Russian reconnaissance drone “Orlan-10“ found near Izmit, as well as another device found in a field in the Balıkesir district.
In 2022, a crashed Russian “Orlan-10“ was also found near Kürtün.
Security risks in the Black Sea are not limited to aerial drones. On March 21, 2026, near Yuniye, in the Ordu district, Turkish authorities discovered an unmanned maritime device that, according to the Ministry of Defense, was likely carried by currents to the Turkish coast. It was destroyed in a controlled manner.
The new incident comes amid Ankara's efforts to limit the spread of risks from war in the Black Sea. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Russia and Ukraine to declare a moratorium on military strikes in the Black Sea due to the increased attacks on ships and ports.
Ukraine also proposed a mutual cessation of attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea, but Russia rejected the idea of a partial ceasefire.
Against this backdrop, the discovery of a new military drone on the Turkish coast has heightened concerns in Ankara that the ongoing hostilities could increasingly pose direct risks to Turkey's security and civilian shipping in the Black Sea.