Archive photo: Romania explodes fragments of a Russian drone found near the border with Ukraine (Image source: Reuters)
Romania on Sunday shot down a drone that entered its airspace over the Black Sea, the third such interception in as many days, as the NATO member accused Russia of repeatedly violating its sovereignty amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.The Romanian Defense Ministry said an F-16 fighter jet destroyed the drone about 12 kilometers northeast of the coastal town of Solina after it entered the country’s airspace. According to Reuters, the drone was shot down safely over territorial waters.Romanian President Nicosor condemned the repeated incursions, calling them “unacceptable and unacceptable.”“It is unacceptable and unacceptable that the Russian Federation continues to violate Romanian airspace, which is at the same time NATO airspace and European Union airspace,” Dan said in a post on X.
He added, “Such actions are unacceptable, and we deal with them with the utmost seriousness alongside our allies.”
The third drone in three days was shot down
Romania had not previously destroyed any drones entering its airspace since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. That changed on Friday, when a Romanian pilot successfully shot down a drone in an uninhabited area.Sunday’s interception was the third drone shot down in three consecutive days.
President Dan said investigations confirmed that the drone destroyed on Friday was a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle, a model widely used by Russian forces in Ukraine.Investigations are still ongoing regarding the drones that were shot down on Saturday and Sunday.The Romanian Ministry of Defense said that Russian drones had entered the country’s airspace without authorization 33 times since the start of the war.
Romania summons the Russian ambassador
Following the recent incursions, the Romanian Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest what it described as repeated violations of the country’s airspace, according to Reuters.Prime Minister Eli Bulogan also described the violations as “unacceptable.”Defense Minister Radu Mirota said Romania would continue to protect its sovereignty.“Romania will continue to vigorously defend its sovereignty and airspace, but these provocations must stop,” he wrote on Facebook.Prosecutors recovered the wreckage of the downed drone on Friday and are continuing to search for fragments of the other two drones.
NATO is monitoring the situation
NATO said further details surrounding Sunday’s incident were still under investigation.“The shootdowns come at a time when NATO, Romania and other countries are acquiring ground-based interceptors to enhance allied and national air defense capabilities,” said US Army Colonel Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for NATO’s military headquarters.Romania shares a 650-kilometre (400-mile) border with Ukraine, and Russian drone strikes have become increasingly frequent as Moscow intensifies its attacks on Ukrainian ports along the Danube River.
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Border tensions escalated
Romania has witnessed several security incidents related to the war in neighboring Ukraine over the past year.Romania adopted a law in 2025 allowing its army to shoot down drones that violate its airspace.Earlier this year, a Russian drone involved in an attack on Ukraine struck a residential building in eastern Romania, wounding two people, while Ukrainian naval drones exploded in June near the Black Sea port of Constanta without causing casualties.Separately, Romania’s army chief said on Friday that Russian attacks around Ukraine’s Odessa region had intensified ahead of the harvest season, increasing pressure on key energy and trade routes through the Black Sea.
