New Jersey drone concerns quelled as legal activity confirmed

In recent weeks, increased drone activity has been observed in the province of New Jersey and surrounding areas, leading to numerous speculations and concerns. During an online briefing on Monday at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, the U.S. National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, explained that according to American services, these are hobby, commercial, and police drones operating fully legally.

Kirby emphasized that this assessment is based on analyzing over 5,000 reports, of which fewer than 100 were deemed to require further investigation. The first reports of drones appeared on November 18, when they were noticed over military installations. In the following weeks, the topic gained significance, sparking the interest of residents and politicians.

Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew from New Jersey suggested that the drones might be Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump accused the government of hiding information and cancelled his travel to New Jersey. Kirby noted that over one million private drones are registered in the U.S., and thousands of such devices are airborne daily.

During the briefing, Kirby also addressed Trump's criticism regarding the decision to allow Ukraine to use American ATACMS missiles against Russia. Trump called this decision "stupid" and expressed dissatisfaction with not being involved in making it. Kirby explained that this decision was made before the elections and responded to North Korea's involvement in the conflict.

Kirby stressed that post-election discussions were held with the new team about national security issues, including the war in Ukraine. He also noted that the principle "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine" applies as long as the current administration is in power.