Plenković on drone crash: we are investigating and looking to establish facts

The unmanned aerial vehicle that crashed in the Jarun area of southwest Zagreb late on Thursday is of military design and Russian-made, but it is not known whether it was possessed by the Russian or Ukrainian military, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković told reporters in Paris on Friday.

He said he had discussed the incident with the minister of the interior, the minister of defence, the deputy prime minister for national security, the president of the republic, the mayor of Zagreb, and the prime minister of Hungary.

The drone flew in from Hungary and, according to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, it entered Hungary from Romania.

"Why it happened, was it due to an error or loss of control, we cannot say for sure at this moment, but we do know that the drone was flying over Croatia for several minutes before crashing down in Zagreb," Plenković said.

Fortunately, there were no casualties because the drone fell in an area where there are no houses or apartment buildings, the prime minister said.

"We have contacted Ukrainian authorities to see if they know how this drone flew as far as Zagreb. In any case, we will make maximum efforts to find out why it came and crashed in Zagreb," Plenković said.

EU has sent messages of strong support to Ukraine

The leaders of the 27 member states, who gathered for a two-day summit, have adopted a statement on the Russian military aggression on Ukraine, following a discussion that lasted until early morning hours.

"We have adopted a declaration, reiterating strong messages of support, restrictive measures for Russia, and humanitarian assistance regarding the reception of refugees. We have expressed political readiness to intensify and deepen relations to enable Ukraine to continue its European journey," Plenković said.

"The European Council acknowledged the European aspirations and the European choice of Ukraine, as stated in the Association Agreement," the statement says.

After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 28 February submitted his country's application to become a member of the European Union, "the Council has acted swiftly and invited the Commission to submit its opinion on this application in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Treaties."

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that the Commission would double the military support to Ukraine with an additional €500 million.

Everyone is fully aware that we need to increase our military support to Ukraine, and I am sure the leaders will approve this allocation, Borrell said.

Text: HINA

News