The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team of the Provincial Gendarmerie Command and the SAS teams from the Coast Guard's Eastern Black Sea Group Command conducted an inspection early in the morning at the site where the unmanned sea vehicle was brought ashore.
During the operation, which involved extensive security measures, the vehicle was lowered back into the water with the help of a crane. It was then towed out to the open Black Sea by a Coast Guard boat and detonated after some time.
The unmanned sea vehicle, found on September 29 by fishermen and brought to shore, had been secured by the Coast Guard in a safe area, with the surrounding port entry and exit points closed off and strict security precautions implemented.
Following his inspection at Yoroz Port, Trabzon Governor Aziz Yıldırım told reporters that investigations by the Coast Guard and gendarmerie teams revealed the unmanned sea vehicle had been used in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. He added that there were concerns the vehicle might contain explosives.
Governor Yıldırım explained, "Once these assessments were made, it was considered safest to destroy it without taking any risks. This decision was not made lightly or alone. Specialists arrived from Istanbul during the night. After final evaluations in the morning, it was determined that destroying it in open sea was the safest option, avoiding any risk. The decision is entirely theirs. This morning, with joint efforts alongside the Coast Guard teams, the vehicle was taken out to sea. Our teams carefully transported it to the open sea and detonated it there."
He confirmed the detonation was completed smoothly and without incident. "If anyone encounters such devices or anything floating on the water, they should immediately notify the Coast Guard. Our teams are ready day and night to respond swiftly and take necessary actions. We can all breathe a sigh of relief—it was safely destroyed. There are no issues, and no one was harmed. Our teams are preparing reports and will submit them to the relevant authorities."
When asked by a journalist about the origin of the unmanned sea vehicle, Governor Yıldırım said, "We can confidently say it belongs to Ukraine. It is even marked on the vehicle."
