An amateur drone pilot caused panic during the coronation of King Charles of England on May 6 in London. The aircraft entered the prohibited zone above Buckingham Palace while the parade led by the new sovereign was taking place on the Mall, immediately after the ceremony that took place at Westminster Abbey. The news was revealed by British newspapers. “At the time, police chiefs feared the move could be a Russian attempt to sabotage the big day,” writes the Daily Mail newspaper. Drone flights have been banned in London’s historic center as part of a series of security measures implemented to protect the coronation. “On the morning of the ceremony, a drone was detected buzzing over Buckingham Palace, Westminster and the Kensington area,” highlights the Times. The incident triggered a high-level alert as police force commanders scrambled to quickly determine where it came from. And it appeared to come from the direction of the Russian embassy in London, which is close to Kensington Palace. On May 4, just two days earlier, Moscow had claimed that Ukrainian kamikaze drones had exploded over President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin residence in a “planned terrorist act and assassination attempt.”
At one point, English police considered shooting at the drone, but in the end the device left the safe area. Knocking it down could also have caused danger if it had fallen into the crowd gathered on the Mall to watch the royal procession. Investigations led to the arrest of Waleed Maray, 36, drone operator. US citizen who pleaded guilty to six breaches of the Air Navigation Order at Westminster Magistrates Court on 20 November. He was fined. As a result of the act, he will now have to pay £4,750.
Source: IL Tempo

John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.