Romanian officials reported that a drone was shot down on Sunday, marking the third incident in three days where NATO aircraft engaged uncrewed aerial vehicles. The interception took place at 10:13 a.m. local time near Romania’s border with southwestern Ukraine, confirmed by Romanian President Nicușor Dan.
Bucharest often notes drone incursions from Ukraine when Russia targets Ukrainian ports along the Danube River, a natural border between Ukraine and Romania. The two countries share about 400 miles of land border.
Recent drone activities in NATO airspace have yet to be classified as attacks on the alliance, thus not prompting a united response from its 32 members. Nevertheless, these ongoing events have driven eastern NATO members to bolster their anti-drone capabilities.
Romania’s defense ministry announced that the drone was downed “safely” approximately seven miles northeast of the port of Sulina, within Romanian waters. While Romanian authorities have not confirmed the drone’s origin, President Dan criticized the Russian Federation for violating NATO and EU airspace.
Just a day earlier, Romanian authorities reported the interception of another drone in an unpopulated border area after it appeared on radar systems at 8:22 a.m. local time. On Friday, two Romanian F-16s, along with two Italian Eurofighter jets under NATO command, intercepted a drone near Romanian airspace. Investigations revealed the drone’s Russian origin, with debris found near two towns northeast of Bucharest. No injuries were reported.
Early Sunday, Ukraine’s southwestern Odesa region, adjacent to Romania, issued several air raid alerts for areas near the border. On the same day, Russia’s defense ministry confirmed an attack on the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk, targeting military fuel tanks.
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