Object Over Yukon Shot Down Because It Posed Threat to Civilian Aircraft, Trudeau Says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to the media in Ottawa before boarding a flight to the Yukon on Feb. 12, 2023. The Canadian Press/ Patrick Doyle

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Feb. 12 that the unidentified cylindrical object detected in northern Canadian airspace and shot down yesterday represented a threat to aircraft.

Trudeau said the object “entered unlawfully Canadian airspace” and “represented a reasonable threat to civilian aircraft.” He said he gave the order, “to take it down,” and “recovery teams are on the ground, looking to find and analyze the object.”