Romania's Ministry of National Defence reported on 13/9 that a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crossed into its airspace amid Moscow's ongoing attacks on western Ukrainian infrastructure.
The Romanian Air Force initially deployed two F-16 fighter jets to respond. They were later joined by two German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons.
Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu stated that Romanian pilots "almost shot down" the Russian UAV as it flew at low altitude before it changed course and headed towards Ukraine. The drone lost its signal about 20 km southwest of the village of Chilia Veche, near the Danube River and the Ukrainian border.
Mosteanu said helicopters would search the area for debris, "but all current information suggests the UAV left Romanian airspace and entered Ukraine".
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Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jet. Photo: US Air Force |
Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jet. Photo: US Air Force
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian air defenses detected the Russian UAV about 10 km inside Romania, operating within NATO airspace for about 50 minutes.
"This is a clear escalation by Russia," he wrote on X, calling on the West to impose additional sanctions and tariffs on Russia and strengthen collective defence capabilities.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard called the incident "an unacceptable violation of NATO airspace." She affirmed Sweden's readiness to contribute further to the alliance's deterrence and defence capabilities.
The Russian Ministry of Defence has not commented on these accusations.
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The border between Romania and Ukraine along the Danube River. Graphic: RYV |
The border between Romania and Ukraine along the Danube River. Graphic: RYV
Romania and Ukraine share a border of approximately 650 km. Since the start of the conflict, debris from Russian UAVs has fallen on Romanian territory, raising security concerns within NATO.
This incident occurred about three days after the Polish Air Force and its allies shot down several Russian UAVs that allegedly violated Polish airspace. The Russian Ministry of Defence later commented that they "did not target any objectives in Poland" and were open to consultations with Warsaw about the incident.
The Polish military also deployed aircraft and helicopters on 13/9 to patrol its airspace after detecting Russian UAV activity near the border. NATO leaders previously announced Operation Eastern Protector, deploying assets to enhance Poland's air defence capabilities. These assets include two F-16 fighter jets and an air defence frigate from Denmark, three Rafale fighter jets from France, four Typhoon jets from Germany, and Italian and Dutch F-35A stealth fighters stationed in Estonia and Poland.
Thanh Danh (Reuters, CBS)
