UAV crashes near airport in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz authorities have not officially commented on the accident yet. / Collage by Kursiv.media (Kaktus.media), photo editor: Denis Andreev

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed and caught fire near Tamchy Issyk-Kul International Airport around 1:00 p.m., according to the press service of Manas International Airport, which oversees the airport.

Local residents who happened to witness the incident were the first to report the accident, assuming it was a plane crash. They took several photos and claimed to have seen something resembling a plane taking off and collapsing shortly after. The situation aroused panic among the locals, who quickly began spreading information about a possible aircraft crash.

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However, Manas International Airport refuted the rumors shortly after.

“No aircraft accident has occurred near Tamchy Issyk-Kul Airport; it was a UAV belonging to the Ministry of Defense. Two fire crews have been dispatched to the scene to address the aftermath of the collapse,” airport representatives said.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic had not officially commented on the accident yet, Kaktus.media reported. Additional details and causes of the crash are expected to be announced after completion of the official investigation.

The State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan commented on the incident later.

«The Department of Information and Communication of the State Border Service of the Kyrgyz Republic affirms that neither reconnaissance nor combat UAVs of the Border Service, including Bayraktar, are missing or damaged,» the agency stated.

Earlier this year, some media outlets reported that the U.S. was imposing sanctions against Kyrgyzstan for its UAV exports to Russia through Kazakhstan. In May 2023, Kazakhstan’s customs service confiscated a batch of UAVs Kyrgyzstan was trying to deliver to Russia. According to the country’s official reports, in 2022, Kyrgyzstan’s exports to Russia surged by 250% compared to 2021, before Russia waged a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Some items such as optical sights have never been among the goods Kyrgyzstan has traditionally exported to Russia.