WASHINGTON Feb 4
According to media reports, an operation is underway to collect debris.
Fox News confirmed this information, adding that the device was shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
The Minister also noted that President Joe Biden decided to shoot down the balloon on the condition that it would avoid risk to the civilian population. In accordance with his decree, the defense department has developed a variant of safe destruction of the object, while closely monitoring its trajectory and activity.
On Thursday, a Pentagon spokesman said that a reconnaissance balloon was noticed over the United States. The military said it belongs to China. The probe arrived from the Aleutian Islands through Canada. The balloon's movements were tracked by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
The US administration declared the presence of a foreign intelligence apparatus in sovereign airspace «unacceptable» and canceled an upcoming visit to Beijing by State Department Secretary Anthony Blinken. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning urged not to speculate on the «spy balloon» theme. As noted in the department, the balloon seriously deviated from the route due to the wind and Beijing regrets that it was over the United States.
The day before, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced the postponement of a visit to China scheduled for Sunday amid this incident. At the same time, he refused to announce new dates, making it clear that it would be premature to talk about this until the current situation is resolved.