Mystery as military drone crashes in Croatia

Zagreb: A military drone that apparently flew all the way from the Ukrainian war zone over three European Natomember states before crashing in an urban area of the Croatian capital was armed with an explosive device, Croatia’s defence minister has said.

The Soviet-made aircraft crossed Romania and Hungary before entering Croatia, hitting a field near a student dormitory late on Thursday. About 40 parked cars were damaged in the large explosion, but no-one was injured.

“Traces of explosives and clues suggesting that this was not a reconnaissance aircraft were found. We found parts of an air bomb,” Croatian defence minister Mario Banozic said.

He added that this raised a further question about whether the drone belonged to Russia or Ukraine.

“There are elements that indicated it could have come from both,” he said.

Investigators have pulled most of the drone’s remaining parts from a large crater it created on impact, including a partly damaged black box that should reveal the drone’s flight path.

Croatian officials have criticised Nato for what they said was a slow reaction to a very serious incident and called into question the readiness of the military alliance’s member states to respond to a possible attack.

Croatian investigators identified the unmanned aircraft that crashed in Zagreb as a Soviet-era Tu-141 that was used for reconnaissance missions in both countries in the 1980s.

Tirana: Thousands of Albanians held a protest in the capital against price increases that authorities have blamed on the war in Ukraine.

Albanians from all around the country gathered at the main Skanderbeg Square in Tirana before marching in front of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office with banners and antigovernment slogans.

Many people made speeches asking the government to tackle a recent significant rise in the price of fuel and food.

After fuel prices rose 50 per cent last week, Mr Rama’s government imposed price controls on fuel on Thursday and urged Albanians to use their cars less.

Fuel suppliers’ profit margins have been frozen for the coming months, while retail prices will be set daily and petrol stations that charge more will be closed.

The fuel price rise has had a knock-on effect on food costs in the small Balkan country.

Maryland: Singer Traci Braxton, who was featured with her family in the reality television series Braxton Family Values, has died at the age of 50.

Her sister Toni and family said that Braxton died “this morning as the snow was falling”.

According to reports, Ms Braxton had oesophageal cancer.

“She was a bright light, a wonderful daughter, an amazing sister, a loving mother, wife, grandmother and a respected performer,” the family said. “We will miss her dearly.”

Braxton Family Values was broadcast for seven seasons starting in 2011 on WETV. It focused on the lives of sisters Toni, Traci, Tamar, Trina and Towanda and their extended families.

Ms Braxton was an actress and singer who released albums in 2014 and 2018.