Here’s an update from Index – a loud bang was heard in part of the City of Zagreb just after 23:00 last night. Police and firefighters quickly reacted and took to Jarunska cesta where the incident had taken place. A large crater was left in the ground following the aircraft having fallen. As it was announced this morning, what arrived in Croatian airspace and crashed in the capital is a Russian-made unmanned aircraft that arrived here after travelling through neighbouring Hungarian airspace.
“All of the competent services became involved immediately after the crash of a military-type of unmanned aircraft, which, according to the data collected so far, entered Croatian airspace from east to west, ie from Hungarian airspace, at a speed of 700 km / h at an altitude of 1300 m,” they announced from the government.
Zagreb Police also confirmed that they found two parachutes.
“After 23:00, the Zagreb Police Administration received several reports from people that they felt a detonation in the wider area of Jarun, which was preceded by something falling from the air. Police patrols were urgently sent to the place of the report where they found two parachutes in the wider area, for which we’d also previously received reports about from people. Several parked vehicles were damaged. Police teams which specialise in dealing with and reacting to this type of event were on the ground, and at the moment there is no reason for people to be alarmed,” the police said.
Here’s what we also know:
The former Ukrainian Ambassador to Croatia says the unmanned aircraft is not Ukrainian, and that Ukrainian aircraft of this type have another type of signage and symbols on them. Ukraine has also confirmed that the craft isn’t theirs. This follows President Milanovic’s claims that the craft had come from Ukraine.
Jadranka Kosor has tweeted that she is unhappy with the statements made by the government in response to this odd Zagreb aircraft crash and that there’s now a sense of insecurity.
Croatian air traffic control did not track the strange flying object upon entry into Croatian airspace because it didn’t have a transponder.
Defense Minister Mario Banozic claims that the aircraft was in fact tracked.
PM Andrej Plenkovic has informed the appropriate European Union institutions of the bizarre Zagreb aircraft crash, he also spoke with Hungarian leader Viktor Orban.
Military pilot Ivan Selak has said it’s ”a shame” that NATO failed to pick up on the drone, and that it had been in Croatian airspace for eight minutes.
Concerns were growing that the drone was intended for the Ukrainian town of Yarun, but wasn’t programmed properly.
For more on the Zagreb aircraft crash, keep up with our news section.
