The government said on Friday that an unmanned aerial vehicle that had fallen in the Jarun area of southwest Zagreb on Thursday night was of military design and that it had entered Croatian air space from Hungary, adding that the police and military police were investigating, news agency MIA writes.
The national security and defence authorities have held a meeting, involving Deputy Prime Minister for National Security Tomo Medved, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, Defence Minister Mario Banožić, Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA) Director Daniel Markić, Military Security and Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant-General Ivica Kinder, and the head of the National Security Council Office, Valentino Franjić, the government said in a press release.
All the relevant services were alerted as soon as the military drone was noticed, and according to data collected so far, it entered Croatian air space from the east, that is from Hungarian air space, and was heading west, travelling at a speed of 700 kph at a height of 1,300 metres.
A criminal investigation is underway in coordination with the security and defence system, and other measures are being taken, including international cooperation, particularly with the NATO alliance, to determine the circumstances of the incident, the press release said.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković discussed the incident with President Zoran Milanović and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as well as with the competent government ministers, Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević and Croatia’s Ambassador to NATO Mario Nobilo.
President Milanović convened an urgent meeting with the chiefs of the Armed Forces and security-intelligence agencies following the incident. Chief of Staff Admiral Robert Hranj, SOA Director Markić and Military Security and Intelligence Agency Director Kinder informed the President of the results of the investigation so far, the President’s Office said in a press release.
The meeting was also attended by Presidential Chief of Staff Orsat Miljenić, Defence Adviser Dragan Lozančić and Adviser on European and Foreign Affairs Neven Pelicarić.
