DAMAZIN – Sudan’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday that army air defenses had shot down an advanced hostile drone over Blue Nile State, alleging that the aircraft had entered Sudanese airspace from Ethiopian territory.
The ministry said the strategic drone was intercepted over the Kurmuk axis in Blue Nile, but did not identify the party operating it or provide details on the mission it was carrying out.
Sudan Now could not independently verify the ministry’s account, the origin of the drone or the route it took before it was shot down. Ethiopian authorities and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) did not immediately comment.
The announcement comes amid growing tensions along Sudan’s eastern and southeastern borders, as fighting expands across Blue Nile, Kordofan and Darfur and Sudanese officials increasingly accuse external actors of facilitating attacks against government forces.
Blue Nile has seen renewed military activity in recent weeks, including clashes around Kurmuk and Qeisan, areas close to the Ethiopian border. Local authorities have previously reported drone and artillery attacks on Kurmuk, saying some shelling came from a “regional neighboring area,” without naming the source directly.
The reported drone interception also comes as unmanned aircraft have become a major feature of Sudan’s war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. Both sides have increasingly relied on drones for surveillance, long-range strikes and attacks on military positions, supply routes and urban areas.
In recent weeks, the RSF has intensified drone operations in North Kordofan, according to army-linked statements, after the SAF and allied forces regained control of Bara, Jabra Al-Sheikh, Umm Sayyala and parts of the export road leading to El Obeid.
Military sources have reported repeated drone attacks on Bara, Jabra Al-Sheikh and areas along the road, in what they described as attempts to target army positions and disrupt efforts to consolidate control over territory recently retaken by government forces.
During August, the army said it had shot down several long-range FH-95 drones in North Kordofan, including one over Jabra Al-Sheikh, another in the Jireijikh area and a third over Bara on August 17. Military sources said the aircraft were intercepted before reaching army targets.
The spread of drones has added a new layer to Sudan’s war, extending the threat beyond traditional front lines and allowing attacks on command sites, supply lines and infrastructure from longer distances.
Recent reports have also pointed to the use of more advanced drone systems by both sides, including Turkish-made drones reportedly used by the army and Chinese-made long-range drones reportedly used by the RSF, reflecting the increasingly technical and cross-border nature of the conflict.
The Defense Ministry’s claim that the drone came from Ethiopia is likely to add further strain to relations between Khartoum and Addis Ababa, which have already faced tensions over border security, refugee movements and Sudanese accusations that foreign territory is being used to support RSF operations.
