A Turkish remote-controlled Akıncı-type unmanned aerial vehicle detected “a source of heat suspected to be the wreckage of the helicopter carrying Iranian President (Ebrahim) Raisi” and “the coordinates were shared with the Iranian authorities”, the Turkish state news agency reported in the early hours of the morning. Anadolu via Xuploading thermal camera videos.

Turkey has sent 32 rescuers and six vehicles to Iran to participate in the search for the helicopter of President Ebrahim Raisi, the government’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) announced last night.

“Thirty-two personnel specialized in mountain search and rescue and six vehicles have been deployed” from the centers of Van and Erzerum, in eastern Turkey, AFAD said in a post on Platform X, clarifying that Tehran had also requested the support of a helicopter properly equipped for night searches.

Teams of fifteen members each are also “on standby” in Ankara, Diyarbakir and Konya (Ikony), AFAD added.

An Akinci unmanned aerial vehicle and a Cougar helicopter equipped with night vision capabilities were also deployed, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.

At the same time, Moscow announced that Russia will deploy a search and rescue team to Iran that will participate in the investigations

“At the request of the Iranian side, rescuers from the Russian Emergencies Ministry will assist in the search and rescue operations” underway after the crash of Bell 212 carrying the head of state and the foreign minister, the ministry explained via Telegram.

The team “is headed to Tabriz”, in northwestern Iran, and consists of “47 specialists with the necessary equipment, all-terrain vehicles and a Bo-105 helicopter,” Moscow said.