Dmitry Peskov addressed a journalist’s question regarding an American drone that was shot down over the Black Sea, outlining the official stance and the limits of available information at that moment.
There were indications, however, that the incident had left Moscow without a full briefing on all aspects. Officials stressed that details could be limited while investigations continued and would be shared as they became available.
Earlier, evidence surfaced showing that during the Ukrainian military operation against Sevastopol, a Global Hawk unmanned aircraft was present in the Black Sea region southeast of the Crimean Peninsula. The information was reported by Flightradar24, a public flight tracking service that records known flight paths and identifiers for many military and civilian aircraft.
According to the service, the drone, bearing the tail number 11-2046 with the call sign FORTE10, departed from the NATO air base at Sigonella in Italy. Its flight path appeared to include airspace over Greece and Bulgaria before turning toward the Black Sea corridor, suggesting a transit to monitor developments in the area.
On 23 June, Ukrainian forces reportedly struck Sevastopol with five ATACMS missiles. Four of the missiles were intercepted and neutralized, while the fifth warhead detonated in the air, producing debris that landed on several popular coastal areas near Sevastopol, including Uchkuevka and Lyubimovka. Local authorities and medical services began assessing the aftermath and responding to the incident, with the latest counts indicating a number of injuries among residents and visitors, including children, and a portion of those injured in serious condition. Public health officials emphasized the importance of secure evacuation routes and medical readiness in the aftermath of such attacks.
A former military analyst offered an assessment on defensive measures and lessons that could help Sevastopol reduce the impact of future assaults. The discussion covered defensive posture improvements, early warning indicators, and rapid response protocols that could mitigate casualties and limit damage from long-range precision strikes. Analysts noted the need for ongoing monitoring of aerial activity in the Black Sea region and coordinated information sharing among allied partners to improve situational awareness and resilience in coastal cities.
In summary, the dialogue surrounding the downed drone and the broader strike campaign highlights the challenges of verifying rapid developments in contested airspace, the role of publicly available flight data in understanding trajectories, and the ongoing effort to reinforce urban safety and strategic deterrence in the region. Attribution: sources and official statements, as well as independent flight-tracking services, informed the public understanding of events as reporting continued.