Mysterious lights observed in Turkey’s sky might be due to Russian ballistic missile test: Expert

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

A Turkish ballistic missile expert said on Dec. 26 that mysterious lights observed in the Turkish sky could be caused by the Russian ballistic missile test.

Some mysterious lights in the sky had been observed across Turkey on the night of Dec. 25, as some Turkish social media users had commented on the spectacle, stating the lights could be UFOs.

On Dec. 27, the Russian Defense Ministry announced they had tested a ballistic missile, Russian TASS News Agency reported.

Turkish ballistic missile and defense expert Hakan Kılıç said the missile could be observed from a very wide geographical area due to its 13,000 kilometer range.

Russia’s Strategic Missile Force has tested perspective armament for the RS-12M Topol intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the Kapustin Yar practice range in the southern Astrakhan Region, the ministry said.

“On Dec. 26, a combat team for the Strategic Missile Force test-fired an RS-12M Topol intercontinental ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar state central combined arms training range in the Astrakhan Region,” it said.

“During the tests, specialists obtained experimental data that will be used in the interests of developing effective means of overcoming anti-ballistic missile defense and equipping the perspective grouping of Russian ballistic missiles with them,” said the ministry.

The test courses and the measuring systems at the Kapustin Yar practice range allow testing perspective armament capable of overcoming ABM defenses, including their future configuration, across the entire range of the conditions for the armament’s delivery to targets in the interests of the Strategic Missile Force and the Navy,” it also said.