14 March 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Monday that France had expressed readiness to help Croatia to control its airspace and that their early warning and control aircraft had already flown over Croatian skies.
The Croatian premier added that that talks were being held with the US to see how they could help Zagreb.
After a meeting of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Presidency and National Council, the prime minister said that the unmanned aerial vehicle that had crashed in Zagreb on Thursday night carried explosive, a sort of bomb, and that the ongoing investigation was aimed at establishing who had launched the drone and how, and if it had been a mistake, sabotage or plan.
He pointed out that he had already spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday and that they had expressed readiness to let French aircraft help Croatia to control its airspace. After that, a Hawkeye E2C patrol aircraft flew over the Croatian airspace on 12 March, and it would do it again tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I will visit the aircraft carrier located in the Adriatic near Dubrovnik, the premier said.
We are also in talks with the US to see how they can help us in the case of such unforeseen circumstances, he added.
PM Plenković said he would continue with intensive communication within NATO with regard to the crash of the UAV. We are talking about it with partners in the EU. On Wednesday, I will visit NATO headquarters in Spain and try to gather additional information on how the aerial vehicle ended up in Croatia.
He also recalled that he spoke with the military leadership today about the possibilities for strengthening the air defence.
Earlier today, PM Andrej Plenković said on Twitter that he had spoken with Defence Minister Mario Banožić, the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Admiral Robert Hranj, and commanders of branches of the Armed Forces about investments in strengthening the capabilities of the Armed Forces.
Before that, he held a meeting with members of the government and relevant institutions about the facts established so far about the crash of the military aerial vehicle in Zagreb.
