A Spanish F-18 fighter jet on a NATO air policing mission shot down an unidentified drone that illegally breached Romanian national airspace on Sunday. The incident occurred near the border with Ukraine and Moldova, as confirmed by Romania’s defence minister Radu Miruta.
This event marks the fourth unmanned aircraft shot down by the country this year. Romania, which shares a 381-mile land border with Ukraine, has reported repeated breaches of its airspace by Russian drones over the past four years.
While the Defence Ministry did not specify the origin of this particular drone, it has previously blamed Russia for similar incidents. These incursions into NATO airspace from Ukraine highlight the challenges facing bordering states and add to fears that the war in Ukraine will spill into Europe.