The mystery of another “flying object” after US military shot it down, Swiss embassy in Turkey reopens after terror alert

The US Air Force shot down another “flying object” over US soil on Friday – but many questions about the incident remain unanswered. It was initially unclear where the flying object came from and what purpose it served. It had no surveillance equipment, broadcaster CNN reported in the evening (local time), citing a representative of the US government. The military said the shooting over the US state of Alaska did not pose a major risk to people or buildings on the ground.

A Pentagon spokesman said an F-22 fighter shot down the plane at 1:45 p.m. EST on Friday. The main reason for this was the threat to civil air traffic, which operates at a similar altitude. The Chinese balloon had flown significantly higher – more than 18 kilometers above the ground and thus well above the maximum height for civil aviation. After the fighter pilot determined the plane was unmanned, President Joe Biden recommended shooting it down “as a precaution,” said National Security Council communications director John Kirby.

It was initially unclear whether there was any connection to the Chinese balloon allegedly used for espionage purposes, which was taken down a week ago. The US military hovered it over the US mainland for several days and then shot it down over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina. The United States accuses the Chinese government of using it to spy on military facilities. Beijing, on the other hand, spoke of a civilian research balloon off course – describing the launch as an “overreaction”. The incident added tension to the already tense relationship between the two countries.

The US government has not provided any information about the origin of the new flying object. “I want to reiterate that we don’t know who owns this property,” Kirby said. It was much smaller than the balloon. “It was the size of a small car.” The balloon, on the other hand, was more the size of two or three school buses. The expected debris field is therefore much smaller, says Kirby.

The US government is now hoping for more information by recovering the rubble. After being shot down off the coast of Alaska near the Canadian border, parts of the object likely fell into frozen water. The salvage should be difficult because boats could not reach the crash site, the Washington Post wrote.

The “New York Times” wrote that several US officials believed the new object was also a balloon. However, a Defense Ministry representative stressed that the object broke into pieces when it hit the frozen sea. This actually contradicts the balloon theory.

The flying object was first sighted Thursday evening (local time), Kirby said. Biden was immediately notified and ordered to fire Friday morning. Canada supported the decision and was aware, said neighboring country Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (sda/dpa)